A massive new battle has broken out in Helldivers 2. Today, developer Arrowhead Studios brought the fight to Super Earth, as the Illuminate are touching down on the Helldivers' home turf. Everyone is joining in the fight, from the player-led Helldivers to some fresh reinforcements in the SEAF.
Short for Super Earth Armed Force, the SEAF soldiers are populating battles taking place on Super Earth, helping the Helldivers hold out against the oncoming Illuminate forces. These troops can be ordered around using several commands, and will assist the Helldivers in defending the home of Managed Democracy. In turn, Helldivers 2 players already love their new NPC helpers.
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As seen in the new trailer for the Heart of Democracy update, SEAF soldiers are subject to roughly the same dire circumstances and thin survival odds as the Helldivers. Today's trailer has more than a few shots of SEAF soldiers getting absolutely routed by the invasion forces.
But the new SEAF pals are garnering both the sympathy and adoration of Helldivers, provoking the need to defend their newfound backup. Refrains of "PROTECT THE LIL UNS," a Warhammer 40K: Darktide reference, are already picking up steam in the comments.
"Aah look at them, they are so cute," wrote one r/Helldivers user, responding to the SEAF soldiers' reactions to the Super Earth salute. "Protect them at all cost helldiver."
Others draw comparisons to the Clone Troopers from Star Wars, especially the NPC allies you'd see in the classic campaigns of games like Star War: Battlefront. "Fired an EAT into a harvesters leg that was attacking a squad and one yelled out 'Glad the helldiver's on our side!'" one user noted, as it reminded them of the lines you'd hear in Star Wars: Battlefront calling out similar actions. "Now we just need overseers with wrist rockets."
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Others have come up with new ways the SEAF could help the Helldivers in the future, as hopes seem high for the SEAF soldiers to leave Super Earth and venture with the Helldivers into other dangerous hotspots via stratagems. Honestly, having an NPC pal around to push those bunker buttons would be useful.
Either way, the Helldivers will absolutely need the help on Super Earth, as the new update seems quite chaotic. It's the culmination of a long series of events, stretching back to a really bad bug hive and a black hole, and it's been really fascinating to see it all come together.
Not too long ago, Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani declared Helldivers 2 players would "shit [their] pants" when they found out what was coming down the pipe. You don't need to give me any unnecessary information, but I do feel like the scope of this update is living up to expectations.
Helldivers 2's Heart of Democracy update, and the Illuminate invasion of Super Earth, is currently underway.
Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.
