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Helldivers 2is afantastic sci-fi shooterpitting teams of up to 4 Helldivers against the murderous forces of theswarming Terminidsor the baby-stealingAutomaton menace. Each mission drops you into a hostile warzone with specific mission objectives, with several side objectives thrown into the mix (along with a number of smaller secret discoveries) before needing to extract and return to your Destroyer in orbit.
Helldivers 2: New Meta Loadouts (Democratic Detonation)
This guide details the best loadouts choices that complement each other across all difficulty levels as established in Helldivers 2’s new meta.
The two current enemy factions (Terminids and Automatons) each feature a number ofdeadly enemy typesthat you’ll face on your missions, depending on which faction occupies the given planet. These enemies all have their own unique quirks, strengths, and weaknesses, and it’s important to know what you might expect to face on any given battlefield.
Updated by Jeff Brooks on August 25, 2025: This guide has been updated to include information about the two new Automaton units, the Gunship and the Factory Strider. The Gunship appears on Hard Difficulty (5) and higher, and the Factory Strider appears on Extreme Difficulty (6) and higher. These tough new enemy units dramatically increased the effectiveness of the Automaton faction.
Helldivers 2
All Terminid Enemy Units
The Terminids are aninsect factionthat swarms over planets, and they must be pushed back with the gentle but firm fist of managed Democracy! Below, you’ll find information on each Terminid enemy type, along with a short description (source:PSN) and in whichdifficulty settingyoucanencounter each enemy (though some more difficult enemies are pretty rare in the lower difficulty settings).
In the tables below,all images are expandableif you want a real good look at theseenemies of Democracy.
Enemy Name
Official Description
Difficulty Mode
Scavengers
“The brainless Scavengers is the lowliest of Terminids. Upon encountering an agent of Liberty, it emits a piercing scream that attracts nearby bugs in a reflexive attempt to destroy freedom.”
Trivial (1) or higher
“Warriors are the natural end result of a species optimized for mindless expansion. In controlled environments, they have eviscerated innocent baby cows in under a second. One can only imagine what they would do to innocent baby humans.”
“The pesky Hunters are known to dodge incoming fire with swift leaps. Scientists note that while this behavior might appear intelligent, it is merely a base instinct, akin to a housefly avoiding an incoming swat.”
“A side effect of Terminid gene splicing research, Stalkers can camouflage themselves almost to the point of invisibility. But nothing can hide from the cleansing light of Freedom forever.”
Easy (2) or higher
Bile Spewers
“Bile Spewers appeared following unavoidable spills of toxic chemicals on Terminid E-710 farms. The Bile Spewer’s thorax is bloated with several metric tons of corrosive acid, which it vomits in revulsion upon encountering Democracy.”
Medium (3) or higher
Bile Titans
“The largest known Terminid strain, a single Bile Titan can destroy an entire SEAF platoon on its own. Engagement is not recommended without the support of heavy duty Orbital Stratagems or a high personnel replacement budget.”
Challenging (4) or higher
“A rushing Charger is nearly impossible to stop, thanks to its meter-thick exoskeleton. Therefore, the recommended response protocol to this situation is the prompt execution of a Rapid Lateral Movement (RLM).”
Brood Commanders
“Directing its foul brethren with a mixture of pheromone-like spores and authoritarian shrieks, the bloodthirsty Brood Commander is a rare and deadly strain known for its undeniable hatred of the right to vote.”
“A new strain of flying Terminids has suddenly appeared across all Terminid planets, with no prior warning or indication of any kind. While the Ministry of Intelligence has always known this was a possibility, the abruptness of the evolution indicates a high possibility of dissident concealment.”
Suicide Mission (7) or higher
Helldivers 2: How To Unlock All Guns In The Game
Powerful weapons are your first (and last) defense in Helldivers 2. This guide details every weapon in the game and how to unlock them all.
All Automaton Enemy Units
TheAutomaton Collectiveis the robotic/cyborg faction you’ll have to contend with as a Helldiver. These enemies for many can be quite a bitmore challenging than their insectoid counterparts, as they are more prone to holding entrenched positions and shooting back from cover. You’ll need to make healthy use of your bestStratagemsagainst these foes to come out on top.
Trooper/Raider/Marauder
“Troopers are little more than guns with legs, base caricatures of consciousness fused to machine guns and rocket launchers. Unlike Super Earth, the bots seem to believe that strapping heavy weaponry to expendable cannon fodder is the solution to every problem.”
“A crude simulation of military leadership, the Commissar is augmented with slightly faster processing and a crude command subroutine. The Commissar stays out of combat if possible, as despicably cowardly as it is unequivocally non-sentient.”
Scout Strider
“The Scout Strider is a machine operated by a machine, a walking turret guided by the limited intelligence of an Automaton Trooper. Another fruitless attempt to ape true intelligence, in this case by exercising mastery over a machine even more primitive than themselves.”
“A primitive actualization of barbarity, the Berserker has CPUs in each chainsaw that are programmed to solve one problem: closing the space between saw and target as quickly as possible.”
Devastator
“The ironclad Devastator seeks to crush opponents of the Automatons' totalitarian worldview with a diverse array of heinous weaponry: arm-cannons, arm-shields, arm-machineguns and arm-rocket-launchers. Variants: Armcannon (Base), MG/Heavy, Rocket.”
Medium (3) or Higher
“As with all Automaton units, the plodding Hulk is brainlessly optimized to do nothing except deliver heavy firepower. If encountered, the recommended protocol for Helldivers is to immediately call in the largest orbital bombardment available. Variants: Autocannon/Rocket, Flame, Rocket.”
“Shamelessly copied from Super Earth tank designs, the Automaton Tank is clearly inferior in such a multitude of aspects that it woudl be impractical to list them here. Variants: Heavy Cannon, Quad HMG.”
Hard (5) or higher
“Packed to the brim with Robotic Infantry, Dropships conduct rapid deployment of mindless, mechanized despotism.”
“…we did discover a transmission containing blueprints for a new Automaton type: aerial gunships. With this advance warning, our hardworking factory laborers have been instructed to accelerate production of our most effective anti-air weaponry.”
Factory Striders
No official word on this tough new enemy type yet, but players have seen these sturdy new walkers sporting a cannon and laser turrets, and they can deploy Devastors onto the field. The vehicle is extremely sturdy, able to withstand a 500kg Bomb, and has no known weakpoints at this time, though that will change as Helldivers experiment with bot-destroying ordnance.
Suicide Mission (7) and higher
If you’re interested in tips on taking out the challenging foes in Helldivers 2, check out our guide onhow to defeat each Terminid enemy type, as well as our guide onhow to defeat each Automaton enemyin the game.
Helldivers 2: 10 Best Ship Module Upgrades To Get ASAP
Ship Module upgrades are one of the best ways to enhance your Helldivers 2 experience. This list breaks down the best ones you need to unlock ASAP.
