Highlights

  • Around 60% of Major Orders in Helldivers 2 have been successful, but failure can be frustrating due to the all-or-nothing nature of objectives.
  • Not all Major Orders are equal in difficulty, with recurring objectives causing player interest to decline after consecutive failures.
  • Rewarding players based on participation level in Major Orders could increase engagement and combat the bystander effect.

By now, players have been fighting the Galactic War in Helldivers 2 for nearly four months since the game’s release in early February 2024. During this time, players have been able to successfully complete most of the Major Orders issued in Helldivers 2, keeping the Galactic War at a relative stalemate. Yet, despite players’ efforts so far, the few Major Orders that have failed have made a lasting impression on both the Galactic War and the community of Helldivers 2 players.

At the moment, players have managed around a 60% success rate with the Major Orders in Helldivers 2. While failing Major Orders is a natural and inevitable part of Helldivers 2’s Galactic War, nevertheless, it might be worth considering making changes to Helldivers 2’s Major Orders based on the community’s record so far.

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Helldivers 2’s Major Orders Don’t Have to be All or Nothing

One element of Helldivers 2’s Major Orders that might be worth compromising is the nature of these objectives being all-or-nothing. Among the failed Major Orders in Helldivers 2, some of these have been extremely close calls, and despite excessive last-minute efforts, failing these Major Orders means that players receive no fruits for their labor. This can be especially frustrating when there is a unique reward at stake beyond the usual Warbond Medals. Such was the case for the Anti-Tank Mines Stratagem, where players failed to complete the related Major Order to unlock this Stratagem. So even when players are incentivized to complete Major Orders with the opportunity to receive new gear, this isn’t always enough to get players motivated to complete certain Major Orders.

After failing the Major Order to unlock the Anti-Tank Mines Stratagem , there has not yet been another chance to unlock this Stratagem, although it will likely become available again in due time, potentially as a reward for a future Major Order.

Not to mention, some players may naturally put in more effort in certain Major Orders, yet everyone receives the same rewards when Major Orders are completed. This has created the opportunity for players to passively farm Warbond Medals by briefly logging into the game during an ongoing Major Order, and again once the Major Order has finished. At an extreme, this bystander effect is a slippery slope that could lead to decreased engagement with Major Orders. Consequently, it might be worth rewarding the players who heavily commit to completing these Major Orders on behalf of the community by granting rewards that scale based on a player’s participation.

Not All Major Orders in Helldivers 2 are Alike

Among the nine failed Major Orders in Helldivers 2’s Galactic War so far, there have been a few recurring objectives that players seem to have more difficulty completing than others. Admittedly, there aren’t too many different types of objectives for Major Orders, yet in some cases, players have failed certain repeat objectives in back-to-back Major Orders.

Such is the case with the last two Major Orders that tasked players with killing a target number of enemies. Despite coming relatively close both times, failing consecutive Major Orders like this can eventually lead to players losing interest in participating in this and similar objectives when they show up in the future. What follows is that it might be best for Helldivers 2 to readjust the win conditions for some of the Major Orders when it comes to the ones that players have a history of not completing or otherwise offering different objectives.

While failing Major Orders is part of Arrowhead's strategy for Helldivers 2, it's still worth paying extra attention to certain rewards and objectives.

Ultimately, though, failing Major Orders is a calculated and inevitable part of Arrowhead Studios’ long-term plan for Helldivers 2’s future. However, this doesn’t make it any less of a burden to bear for players who are passionate about their service to Super Earth, so it might be worth rebalancing certain aspects of the Major Orders’ rewards and objectives.