Apologies, Helldivers fans. The Automatons are back! The robotic foes were not wiped off the face of the map for long.
Advertisement
Yes, that's right, the Automatons have returned in Helldivers 2. Many in the player base believed this day would come... but maybe not quite this soon!
As the new Major Order puts it: "All units to LIBCON 1. A massive Automaton Invasion Fleet, comprising tens of thousands of warships, arrived from FTL jump and began an unprovoked invasion of Cyberstan and the surrounding planets. The Reclamation has begun."
Read on to learn more about the Automatons comeback in Helldivers 2!
Are the Helldivers 2 Automatons defeated?
Not anymore! Although the first wave of Automatons was dispatched during Operation Swift Disassembly, a larger second wave of Automatons has now arrived in the game.
Although the in-game government previously claimed that the Automaton threat was "fully eradicated from our galaxy", they're now having to eat their own words.
Yes! The return of the Automatons was revealed by an official social media post, which noted that a "massive Automaton Invasion Fleet, comprising tens of thousands of warships" has appeared in the game world.
The post (see below) has already received tonnes of interactions. The Starship Troopers GIFs are out in force as players leap back into action.
As for how the Automatons have returned, the little video attached to the social post hold some clues.
The text in the video notes: "The previous bot force was merely a vanguard — as suspected all along. The Helldivers are ordered to hold back this invasion."
You'll find the Automaton threat on Cyberstan and the planets nearby. Get ready to leap back into action and bring peace to the galaxy... again!
What could replace the Automatons in Helldivers 2?
Helldivers.
If the Automatons ever leave the game for good, what faction will replace them? According to numerous fan rumours, it seems that The Illuminate are poised to enter the battle.
Appearing in the original Helldivers game, the Illuminate are a highly advanced civilisation that has existed in the universe for thousands of years.
The aquatic-like species has been spotted in a datamine (via Reddit), with various enemy types also being listed. These include Adept, Ghoul, Illusionist, Obelisk, Outcast, Pathfinder and Summoner.
This isn't the first time a datamine for Helldivers 2 has found evidence of what's next for the game, with several discovering codes for mechs ahead of their implementation.
So, if we had to put money down on it, we'd expect The Illuminate to join in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, the Automatons are back - and there are always the Terminids that still need wiping out, as well. You have your commands, soldier.
Helldivers 2 is available across PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Windows.
Matt Poskitt is a freelance journalist who specialises in arts and culture – be that movies, TV, video games, tech or otherwise. Matt headed up the games and entertainment section at T3 (Future Publishing), alongside being found across The Guardian, CNET, PC Gamer Mag, GamesIndustry.biz, Insider, iNews, IGN, TechRadar, PC Gamer Mag, NME and many more.
Rob Leane is the Gaming Editor at Radio Times, overseeing our coverage of the biggest games on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile and VR. Rob works across our website, social media accounts and video channels, as well as producing our weekly gaming newsletter. He has previously worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional and Dennis Publishing.
