Helldivers 2 is a fun yet challenging game that doesn’t say much about itself. While some fans have had their experiences on the battlefield, you might have missed one or two hidden mechanics. That’s why we’re showing you 9 things you definitely didn’t know on the battlefield.
What are hidden mechanics? Helldivers 2 doesn’t reveal much beyond the basic knowledge from the survival course in the tutorial about mechanics you can use in combat. Many can only be discovered after hours of gameplay on the battlefield and feel almost hidden. We have therefore gathered our experiences from the editorial team and summarized them in this list.
Align antennas solo
What does that mean? In Helldivers 2, there are often missions where you need to activate and align an antenna system. You go to the terminal, activate the system, and then you have to align the antenna at two separate points and confirm your alignment. The problem, however, is that you can’t easily tell when the antenna is properly aligned, as the solution is displayed on the terminal, which is meters away from you.
There is, however, a mechanic that can especially help you solo find out if the antenna is correctly aligned. While you turn the valve and the dish aligns itself, listen carefully. A distinct sound will occur as soon as you reach the correct point. If you leave the point, you will hear another sound. This way, you can complete the mission solo without relying on the help of other Helldivers.
Hellpods can also kill
A landing Helldiver is lethal. Just use your Hellpod and aim it at armored enemies. If you land correctly, you can take out tanks or even assaulters with a landing.
Supply packs can be consumed by yourself
How does that work? In Helldivers, you can call in the tactical equipment “Supply Package,” but many players don’t even know that you can consume the supplies yourself. Press the down button on the PS5 directional pad and the 5 on PC. This way, you are not only a strong supporter but also a Helldiver with full pockets.
There’s a free mortar strike… for traitors
How do I trigger it? You need a bit of firepower from above, but all your tactical equipment is on cooldown? Then we have the right solution for you – leave the mission area and become a traitor.
If the command center of Over-Earth notices that you are leaving the mission area, a mortar strike will be unleashed on you that aims to kill you. If you are quick enough, you can escape the strike and flatten enemies with it. The strike will continue until you are eliminated – but only use this trick if you are playing solo; otherwise, your teammates will be angry.
Emotes and Pings – Here’s how
In Helldivers 2, you can communicate with your teammates even without a headset. That’s what emotes and pings are for. Depending on what you want to use, you have to press the right button.
For emotes, use the following key:
- PC: B
- PS5: Left directional pad
- Emotes can be exchanged in the armory under “Emote”
For pings, use the following key:
- PC: Q
- PS5: R1
Changing fire modes and sights
How does that work? Depending on what weapon you have equipped, you can set your sights, fire modes, and flashlight during missions. This allows you to equip yourself according to your wishes to confront your enemies. You can do this with the following keys:
- PC: Hold R (do not aim with the weapon)
- PS5: Hold Square (do not aim with the weapon)
Attack the legs of the assaulters
How do I slow down assaulters? Assaulters are the tanks of the Terminites. They are hard to stop and have few weak points. To slow down the assaulters, you should aim for their feet with the railgun. This way, you will slow them down and create a weak point that you can shoot at with your main weapon.
Destroy Acid Titans with a precise shot
What is its weak point? Acid Titans are gigantic Terminites that seem almost invincible, if it weren’t for their head that constantly needs to spew. With a precise shot, you can therefore destroy an Acid Titan.
Use the Automatic Cannon or the Recoil-less Rifle. Wait until the Acid Titan wants to spit acid again. When it opens its mouth and spews, shoot it in the open mouth.
With this tactic, the head will burst and the Titan will be dead. Keep in mind that you must shoot precisely. Often, it happens that the angle is wrong or you haven’t hit the hitbox correctly. In this case, just keep firing again.
Watch out for the ammunition of your SEAF artillery
What is meant by this? The SEAF artillery can be found and loaded by you on various missions. While many Helldivers fill the cannon blindly, you should pay attention to what cartridges you load into the artillery. Each projectile has its own design and function.
There are normal projectiles, smoke shells, or explosive or napalm shells. With a good team, you can thus optimally load the cannon, secure XP for yourselves, and also get useful bonus support that will definitely be useful to you in combat.
We found in our tests that many excess cartridges can be found in the vicinity of the SEAF artillery. So you have the opportunity to choose what you put in the artillery.
Those were all our tips and secret mechanics that you should know in Helldivers 2. Do you have any other things you would recommend to other Helldivers that are not immediately obvious in the game? Feel free to let us know in the comments and share your experiences with other players.
Are you looking for a way to level up quickly? Then we have the perfect tactic for you: Helldivers 2: Level up quickly – Farm loads of XP by taking advantage of a limited-time event
