After a string of defeats, Helldivers 2 players have defeated the Automatons on Varylia 5 to unlock the new Emancipator Exosuit mech

Helldivers 2 players have completed their latest Major Order despite a recent spate of defeats, unlocking a new mech strategem in the process.

Earlier today, the official Helldivers account confirmed that Varylia 5 has been liberated, three days after the Major Order that required the planet to be liberated from the Automatons was first handed out. This kind of thing is par for the course - it's not the first time that we've had to liberate a planet to earn a new strategem, and it probably won't be the last.

That said, however, it was far from a given that the community would be able to earn this particular reward. Several Orders have passed uncompleted in recent weeks, and while there are a lot of factors behind that particular trend, it didn't necessarily bode well for the ability to pass this latest one, especially since its Automaton focus is inherently less popular with large numbers of players.

Nevertheless, the completion to today's order means that the Dual-cannon Emancipator Exosuit Helldivers 2 mech is now available for players to call in as a strategem. It looks like a significant improvement over the previous mech, given the two cannons (instead of one) - in leaked footage, it can be seen sending repeated rockets into a bile titan, which does seem like a good way to get set up from a distance, even if the mechs are still perhaps a little less mobile than you might need for close-quarters combat.

Helldivers 2’s next update will begin to reverse some controversial weapons nerfs, but won’t be “the patch to rule all other patches.”