Helldivers 2 Dev Confirms Roguelite Systems, Called Planet Warfronts, as Part of Big Changes Coming to the Game
Helldivers 2 is set to undergo a major transformation with the introduction of Planet Warfronts, a roguelite system confirmed by developer Arrowhead Games. In a recent Steam post, game director Mikael Eriksson revealed that this feature is the next big evolution for the game, following initial experiments with dynamic warfronts on planets. The system was first hinted at by Johan Pilestedt, Arrowhead’s CCO and Helldivers 2 creative director, during a December announcement. Eriksson emphasized that the team has now added enough content to bring the vision of Planet Warfronts to life, positioning it as a key feature in the upcoming Galactic War.
How Planet Warfronts Will Work
When Planet Warfronts goes live, missions will be categorized into three distinct types:
- Defend missions in liberated territory
- Frontline War missions on the frontlines
- Behind Enemy Lines missions in enemy-controlled territory
Players will engage in strategic battles to reach key locations such as cities, where different enemy variants will be present across various areas of the planet. As Eriksson explained, these missions will not only challenge players against enemy forces but also require them to contend with the ever-present threat of Game Masters—the AI-controlled enemies that have been a staple of the game.
The feature will introduce gameplay-altering effects based on how players perform in liberating planets. For example, achieving liberation goals within a specific time frame or disabling enemy artillery in a particular location could unlock crucial Operations. Eriksson noted that the goal is to make liberating planets more engaging and unique, deepening the Galactic War and Community Progression systems. “We want to make it feel epic for everyone,” he added.
Upcoming Galactic War Campaigns
In addition to Planet Warfronts, Helldivers 2 will introduce Galactic War Campaigns this month. These campaigns represent the “next evolution” of Major Orders, and will last between 1–3 weeks. Eriksson emphasized that the intention is to make it clear what the active campaign is, how it’s progressing, and what’s at stake. This is a change from previous iterations of the Galactic War, where such clarity was not always present.
Campaigns will ensure that players always have at least one Campaign reward if they meet the required conditions. Some of these rewards will alter gameplay, while others will be unique cosmetic items. Eriksson teased that players will also be able to earn rewards beyond Warbonds, including a new FRV (Fleet Recon Vehicle) as the first major unlock.
Personal Campaign Progression
Another major change is the transformation of Personal Orders into a new system called Personal Campaign Progression. This system will tie individual player progress to each Galactic War Campaign, allowing players to earn rewards even if the community fails to meet larger objectives. Eriksson explained that this change is designed to give players a sense of personal achievement, with rewards that reflect their contributions to various campaigns.
“This change won’t happen with the launch of Galactic War Campaigns,” Eriksson noted, “but we are planning to deploy it this year.”
Ship Overhaul and New Ships
Arrowhead is also working on a complete overhaul of the ship module system, which will expand the ways players can upgrade and customize their ships. In addition, the developer is planning to introduce new ships with unique progression paths, specializations, and customizations. Eriksson revealed that a dedicated ship team is currently working on the first new ship, with the goal of adding more ships in the future.
“I can’t share when the new ship can reach your hands… yet,” Eriksson said, “but I’ll be sharing more details later this year.”
Upcoming Fixes and Improvements
Eriksson also outlined a list of upcoming fixes and improvements for Helldivers 2, including:
- Assisted reload for Helldivers, as long as the carrier or reloader has the appropriate backpack
- Additional emotes—players will now be able to use 8 emote slots instead of 4
- Reduced dead input when using stim packs
- Fixes to stratagem bouncing and Hellpod steering, with task forces working on prototypes to resolve these long-standing issues
- Improved enemy and player traversal, including better environmental collision and reduced movement penalties on grass and vegetation
- An increase in the level cap to 300
- Economy and resource improvements
- Fixes to the Warbond and Superstore menus for easier navigation
- A closed beta test focused on stability and balancing, including feedback from Propaganda Commanders
