HELLDIVERS 2 — A Veteran’s Guide to Difficulty

Before you give your life to Super Earth, many fresh recruits will try to rush to Level 10 missions to level up faster, get new stratagems, and earn equipment sooner… and I say this is a foolish idea! Today, we’ll be teaching you about difficulty and how you can Helldive and still have fun in HELLDIVERS 2.

Lower difficulties might not be as rewarding as a Super Helldive, but they give you a chance to learn more about being a Helldiver without as much risk of failing. Rushing through the difficulties will leave you at a serious disadvantage, as you’ll lack the knowledge and skill needed to face Super Earth’s most undemocratic of foes. Just because you can shoot a few bugs, it doesn’t mean you can take down Chargers or Bile Titans just as easily.

Don’t rush in thinking you’re the ultimate badass Super Earth says you are. It is mostly true, but you're a lot squisher than you’d think, even in heavy armour. Here’s what you might expect if you’re tackling these difficulties on any front.

Trivial to Medium

For the recruits who are just learning the ropes.

These missions will rarely test you. You won’t encounter a lot of resistance, with small maps, relatively light patrols, and enemies that most primary weapons can take care of in a single bullet or two. Your starting stratagems are more than enough to beat these missions solo.

Peace and Prosperity

Don’t be surprised if you encounter Level 150 Helldivers at these difficulties, as they’re likely farming Super Credits (the premium currency).

Challenging to Extreme

For the soldier who wants a decent challenge.

At these levels, you’ll start encountering the heavier enemies: Hulks, Bile Titans, Impalers, and Harvesters, as well as tougher enemy bases and increased patrols. In exchange, you get more Points of Interest. At Difficulty 6 and up, you can find Super Samples, which are required for the later tiers of Super Destroyer upgrades.

Death and Danger

Although not necessary, you should start considering what types of weapons and stratagems your team brings at these levels. One or two players should have an Anti-Tank weapon ready to use at a moment’s notice.

Suicide Mission to Super Helldiver (and beyond!)

For the heroes who want to spread Liberty the most.

Only the best of the best are able to handle these difficulties. Patrols everywhere, large maps, even larger enemy bases, and extremely heavy resistance.

Hell on Super Earth.

The special enemies you encountered in the previous difficulties are now just as common as the fodder enemy types, or have been replaced with harder variants. For example, you will never encounter normal Chargers on Helldive and up, as they’ve been replaced fully with Behemoth Chargers and Spore Chargers. A coordinated team is recommended, and everyone should be prepared for the worst because more often than not, it will come to pass.

Ultimately, difficulty is just fine-tuning how much of a challenge you want from the game. At the bare minimum, to completely upgrade your Super Destroyer, you only need to do missions at Level 6 - Extreme. Take your time, learn how your weapons function, study your enemies, and move on to higher difficulties only if you’re ready. Be wise, recruit!