Arrowhead Game Studios posted a new piece of in-universe propaganda for Helldivers 2 yesterday, warning that cave systems have been spotted "in non-karst landscapes throughout the galaxy." Check out the official post down below:
The poster is titled "Infestation Runs Deep" and shows a hazy, bone-colored alien world filled with tall Terminid spires, framed by orange organic webbing. The caption at the bottom reads: "Subterranean hive networks identified across multiple ecosystem classifications. Helldivers entering cavern systems are advised: Eagle-1 cannot hear your screams through 80 meters of bedrock."
Caves Are No Longer Limited To A Few Worlds
The poster follows the update Arrowhead community manager Mitchell Ayre shared on the PlayStation Blog last week. "Terminid cave networks now course beneath more biomes in the galaxy from scorched deserts to frozen tundras," he wrote. "Every planet may have a hive beneath it." Bug caves used to be limited to a handful of worlds, and they now have a chance to appear across more biomes on the Galactic map.
Ayre also described what players can expect underground: "sightlines are short, corners are blind, and fast enemies arrive before you hear them." His advice is to bring close-range firepower, stay with the squad and keep a stim in reserve "for whoever wandered too far ahead."
The Noxious Strain
The caves came with a new strain of bugs, which the Ministry of Truth calls the Noxious strain. The Noxious Scavenger looks like an ordinary Scavenger but is noticeably faster, and each bite delivers poison. It is fragile, so Arrowhead recommends weapons that "reward volume over precision," such as shotguns, flamethrowers and grenades.
The Noxious Spewer is the bigger threat. It is a "hulking monstrosity" that moves quickly and is responsible for the webs covering the battlefield. Its Web Spit takes away a Helldiver's ability to sprint, and its bite has surprising reach and a stronger dose of venom. Its head has medium armor, but its web-filled abdomen has none. Shooting that sac sets off a Web Explosion that snares every Helldiver and bug nearby.
Poison now has its own icon on the HUD. Being lightly poisoned hazes your vision and slowly eats away at your health, while heavy poison increases the damage over time and takes away sprinting. Stims cure both.
The blog post ends in full Super Earth voice: "Pack your stims, aim for the abdomen, and remember: arachnophobia is not a recognized exemption from military service. See you in the caves, Helldiver."
A Venomous New Major Order
The caves arrived alongside a new Major Order. Super Earth's High Command declared "a localized bio-hazard emergency" yesterday morning after a newly mutated, venomous strain of Terminids attacked multiple TCS+ sectors:
Players need to successfully defend against 7 Terminid attacks to complete the order.
A Cave Fire Hotfix Is On The Way
Arrowhead also has a patch lined up for the caves. Late last week, the studio said it plans to release a hotfix for the Devoid of Liberty update this week, including a fix for how fire behaves underground:
The studio said players should expect more details early this week. As of this writing, the patch notes have not been posted. Devoid of Liberty brought new Illuminate enemies and a Warhammer 40K Warbond, which were covered in Helldivers 2 Devoid of Liberty Update Adds Horrifying Illuminate Enemies And Warhammer 40K Warbond.
Are you diving into the caves with fire Stratagems, or waiting for the hotfix first?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.