In Helldivers 2, where spreading democracy across the galaxy is a full-time job—and the bugs and bots never seem to take a day off—the community has always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the idea of Anti-Tank Mines.
But now, developer Arrowhead is forcing players to confront this long-running meme head-on, with a Major Order that comes with a hefty ultimatum. The stakes have never been higher, and the Helldivers 2 community is scrambling to respond!
An Offer Helldivers 2 Players Can’t Refuse?
For those unfamiliar with the saga of the Anti-Tank Mines in Helldivers 2, it’s a tale that spans multiple Major Orders and has become something of a running joke within the community. On four separate occasions, players have been given the chance to unlock the MD-17 Anti-Tank Mines, and each time, they’ve found a way to avoid it.
But now, Arrowhead is done playing around—the latest Major Order tasks players with eliminating a staggering 1.5 billion Helldivers 2 enemies. Fail, and the Anti-Tank Mines will be forced upon the community as a sort of punishment.
The reaction from players has been a mix of panic and amusement:
It’s happening, rally everyone you know
byu/Educational-Bee-5842 inHelldivers
Others are sending out an urgent call to arms:
Gather all your friends who have ever had an account. We can’t fail this major order
byu/odeacon inHelldivers
Some players are even speculating that the mines are inevitable, no matter the outcome of the Major Order:
Comment
byu/odeacon from discussion
inHelldivers
All in all, it seems that even the promise (or threat) of new content might not be enough to bring some players back into the fold.
The Escalation of Freedom and the Fate of the Mines
As the clock ticks down on the latest Helldivers 2 Major Order, many players are looking ahead to the upcoming Escalation of Freedom update, set to go live on PC via Steam and the PlayStation 5 (sorry, Xbox enthusiasts) just as the order expires. The massive content drop promises new enemies, mission types, and even a new difficulty level, the Super Helldive.
But with player engagement dwindling in the lead-up to the update, some are wondering if the community will be able to rise to Arrowhead‘s challenge:
Comment
byu/odeacon from discussion
inHelldivers
At the time of writing, with just one hour remaining before the “Major Order” expires and the most anticipated “Major Update” goes live, the Helldivers 2 community has managed to eliminate just over 962 million enemies – an impressive feat, but still well short of the 1.5 BILLION target.
Will the mines prove to be a valuable addition to the Helldivers’ arsenal, or will they be relegated to the sidelines like so many unwanted gifts? Only time will tell.
But who knows? Maybe the new challenges and content coming in Escalation of Freedom will be just the thing to reinvigorate the playerbase and get them excited about spreading democracy once again – even if it means dealing with the occasional errant mine.
What do you think about Arrowhead’s ultimatum to the Helldivers 2 community? Are you excited to finally get your hands on the Anti-Tank Mines, or do you think the meme should have lived on a little bit longer? Let us know in the comments below!
