Introduction and Credits

Welcome to Helldivers II! Dive into the core gameplay, understand the co-op experience, and learn why this guide exists to help you navigate the galactic war. Plus, check out the credits!

Hey there, Helldiver! Welcome to the fight for managed democracy. You've picked up what I think is one of the best games out there right now. Forget those games that just try to make you feel powerful all the time with easy wins. Helldivers is different. It’s got that deep, strategic combat feel, kind of like XCOM or Final Fantasy Tactics, but it all happens in real-time. It’s still pretty new, and yeah, you might run into some connection hiccups now and then, but the core gameplay? It’s absolutely outstanding. It’s got this surprising amount of realism under its flashy exterior, which is a breath of fresh air compared to games that just mess with enemy difficulty behind the scenes. Helldivers doesn't hold your hand, but it does play fair.

I’m usually more of a solo player myself, but the co-op in Helldivers is where the real magic happens. I found myself jumping online with random squads pretty quickly, and honestly, I learned so much about the cool, effective ways to play from other players. The community here is awesome – active, friendly, and the devs seem to be listening. The only tricky part is that information can feel a bit scattered. For example, early on, a tough enemy called the Illusionist popped up, and the Helldivers forums were flooded with tips. But then a patch changed things, and that info might be hard to find for a new player today. I love digging into old games with old guides, and I want to make sure the knowledge for Helldivers sticks around too.

So, why am I writing this FAQ? It’s not because I’m some kind of pro player (definitely not!) or because the game *requires* you to have a guide glued to your face (it doesn’t). My goal is simply to gather up the information that’s easy to find right now and make sure it’s just as easy to find later, for you and for future Helldivers.

This guide covers Helldivers up through version 1.04 and includes the “Reinforcement Packs” DLC. Keep in mind a big update called “Turning up the Heat” is on the way, so this version might not be current for too long.

I’ve gotten some really great insights and info from these awesome players: abcron-nopeba, artist_of_war, castonph, cato_otac, crossbreed55, cusman, deductedrabbit, FoxPug, LudicSavant, NALS_86, nottom, pVITAMINq, THE-LORD-HERESY, and They_call_me_OP. Huge thanks to all of you!

You can reach me, rdhight (my PSN ID), via email at _lithium099@hotmail.com_ if you’ve got questions, spot something that needs adding or changing, or if you catch any typos. Seriously, please point out those typos!