After dreaming up an in-depth Assault mission which Helldivers 2's director gave a big thumbs up to, a dedicated player has now theorized what an underground-based mission could look like.
'ThePengu' on Reddit is a fiend for Helldivers 2. In just the last few days, they designed a theoretical Assault mode for Helldivers 2, which the game's own director said was "crazy similar to a prototype objective from some years back," and gave a huge stamp of approval to.
Now, ThePengu is back with another banger: An underground mission. In the Reddit post below, the player theorizes that an underground mode could be themed around two Helldivers having to carry a payload straight into a Terminid nest at a specific "detonation point," defended all the way by their fellow two troopers.
Here's a concept for an underground mission that could™ work; carry a nuke with your bro :) from r/Helldivers
Crucially, the two players carrying the payload are limited to using a sidearm, which we've already seen in Helldivers 2 when a player is carrying a hard drive. Alternatively, one player could carry the hefty payload, but they wouldn't be able to use any weapons whatsoever.
Obviously, orbital Stratagems like Supply Drops and Orbital Strikes can't be used underground, which is what ThePengu posits would strengthen "team composition." The cavern is wide enough so that all four players can traverse is at once, but critically "short enough that it does not overstay its welcome."
Once the detonation point is reached, the Helldivers have two minutes to get the hell out of there and extract, but escape is optional to the mission's success. Finally, it's worth pointing out the entire map isn't set underground - just a relatively short portion of the mode once the troopers have secured the payload above ground.
This all follows after an Arrowhead developer revealed that underground maps for Helldivers 2 were "contemplated," but ultimately shot down because of the work required to get the "very different kind of gameplay" working. ThePengu's creation might be a direct answer to this, since it's set only partially below ground.
