Helldivers 2 is well regarded for being a difficult, even overwhelming, game most of the time, but the most surprising thing about it is the fact that it can be scaled. Since its launch back in February, Helldivers 2 has boasted a difficulty scale running from 1-9, with 9 being the hardest setting. That was the case until the Escalation of Freedom update that released on August 6 which, per the title, ramps things up a bit with new enemies and a new difficulty.
Helldivers 2’s latest update brings difficulty 10 missions to the game, which are aptly labeled as “Super Helldives.” However, if you’re a more casual player, or are just getting into the game right now, you may notice that the highest difficulty isn’t immediately accessible. That’s because in Helldivers 2, you need to earn higher difficulties by taking on operations at the highest tier afforded to you.
Basically, you need to work your way up to the highest difficulty by completing a level 9 Helldive operation. In order to get there, you have to complete an operation on every tier below it.
To be clear, operations are a bit more distinct than just stray missions that you drop into. Operations are consolidated bunches of 2-3 missions depending on the difficulty you select. During operations, you are allowed to pick between any of the 2-3 options and tackle them in whatever order you want. Finishing them all gives greater rewards as well as access to the next-highest difficulty. Upon completion of a level 5 operation for example, you will unlock the ability to do level 6 dives and operations, and so on and so forth.
Ultimately, these operations largely rotate through the same series of objectives, but they are made more ridiculous by the steadily rising difficulty levels. The difficulty level directly corresponds to the amount and type of enemies you face and how ferocious they are. The difference in two tiers of difficulty may be the spawn rate of Bile Titans as well as massive, heavily armored creatures like the Impalers, which are new as of this current update.
Experienced players are really going to want to unlock this new difficulty level because it contains one of Helldivers 2’s most exciting new additions. As part of the Escalation of Freedom update, level 10 missions now feature huge Automaton fortresses as well as Terminid strongholds that function like a large-scale version of the game’s existing outposts. There will be more enemies than ever, but damn will it be exciting to lay siege to one of those huge camps on a mission.
Helldivers 2 is no joke on even the most middling of difficulties, especially if you aren’t kitted out with the right weapons, stratagems, and armor. That means that level 10 missions are going to be brutal as hell, and should only be reserved for the most experienced players. Otherwise, you’re just cruising for a bruising or, y’know, evisceration at the hands of bloodthirsty bugs and robots. So slap on that heavy armor, throw down some heavy artillery, and stick it to those robots and bugs in the name of Super Earth.