Helldivers 2 Developer Teases Upcoming New and Challenging Enemies
Helldivers 2 developer Youssef Khatib recently confirmed the development team was working on a batch of new-and-improved enemies, which will also give players more of a challenge. Helldivers 2 was first released back in February 2024, serving as a co-op third-person shooter and a direct sequel to the 2015 title of the same name. Players man a group of Helldivers shock troops, faced with protecting humanity against various enemies in the 22nd century, and the game’s balance of cinematics, teamwork, and hilarious camaraderie gives the genre an injection of fun, original, and challenging gameplay.
August is delivering a treat for Xbox players, as Helldivers 2 will release on Xbox Series consoles on August 26, supporting cross-platform play across all platforms. The shooter joins an exciting list of other Xbox games releasing in August, including Mafia: The Old Country, Gears of War: Reloaded, and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, but Helldivers 2’s teased new enemies are not expected to arrive before the game’s Xbox debut.
Helldivers 2 Dev Confirms More Complex Enemies Are Being Developed
Posting on Discord, Khatib responded to a player’s question, asking if the dev team was working on new and more difficult enemies. “We always are, enemies [are] becoming more complex and we plan to continue that trend,” Khatib confirmed, but also assured the player base that there were still a “good amount” of lower-tier enemies to be released, to ensure there are enough “steps of escalation.” Additionally, the developer explained that two teams were currently working on enemies, which suggests the new foes are a priority. A previous Helldivers 2 leak suggested a new Illuminate enemy unit, titled the Observer, would be joining the lineup, but as for the more challenging enemies being teased, nothing has been confirmed or specified.
Khatib offered a glimpse behind the veil of the enemy development process, revealing Arrowhead designs enemies in a “fantasy first fashion,” meaning they have to “live up to the central theme and idea of it” first. The increased difficulty of enemies is bound to test the most resilient of Helldivers, and here’s hoping players can adjust to the challenge, unlike one Helldivers 2 player whose character suffered a heart attack in-game.
Adding to the teased new enemies, a Helldivers 2 dev confirmed an overhaul of the game's UI system was currently in the works. Despite this feature being a tricky one to evolve, creative director Johan Pilestedt revealed that the team was developing an improved system to allow them to create in-game UI much faster. Furthermore, this change will allow devs to test features more regularly without disrupting other aspects.