Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • RPG Club
  • Countdown to GTA 6
  • Game of the Week
  • New Games 2026
  • G+RLS Podcast
  • Best gaming tech
  • Join our RPG Club
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. Third Person Shooters
  3. Helldivers 2

How to kill Crushers in Helldivers 2

Guides
By Will Sawyer
Published 17 August 2026

How best to bring down the Illuminate's Crushers in Helldivers 2

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Helldivers 2 Crusher winding up overheard slam with club in front of player
(Image credit: Sony)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
0
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

Helldivers 2 Crushers are the lumbering monstrosities that belong to the Illuminate, capable of insta-killing players with brutal blows from their clubs. Currently, you'll only find them in Helldivers 2 missions where the Vote Snatcher enemy sub-faction is active, but it's very important that you know how to put down a Crusher efficiently if you are to survive. So, having fought many of these massive foes myself, here's everything you need to know about killing Illuminate Crushers in Helldivers 2.

Best ways to kill Helldivers 2 Crushers

Helldivers 2 Illuminate Crushers pursuing player

(Image credit: Sony)

There are two ways to kill a Crusher, neither of which are especially easy. The first is to shoot them constantly until they die, and the other is to destroy their helmet and then shoot their very weak head.

The simplest of the two is to riddle them with bullets. Crushers have a lot of health and regenerate unless they're taking damage, so you'll want fast-firing weapons on you to wear them down without them self-healing – their lack of armor also means light-armor-penetration weapons will suffice!

Therefore, some of the best Helldivers 2 support weapons for the job are things like the Machine Gun, Heavy Machine Gun, Bullet Storm, Maxigun, Stalwart, and WASP Launcher. Crushers are also vulnerable to fire (as are Helldivers 2 Wretches!), so the Cremator and Flamethrower are great choices as well.

Helldivers 2 player aiming at Illuminate Crusher's exposed head

(Image credit: Sony)

Alternatively, destroying the helmet and shooting the head is a much faster way of killing a Crusher, but requires specialized gear. The helmet counts as heavy armor, so you need to hit it with a heavy-armor-penetration weapon. Support weapons like the Autocannon, Railgun, Recoilless Rifle, Expendable Anti-Tank, Commando, Quasar Cannon, and plenty more are good options for this, but you could also use the Senator revolver or Bolt Pistol – two of the best Helldivers 2 secondary weapons.

Once you've destroyed a Crusher's helmet, its tiny head weakspot will be exposed. Like the rest of its body, it has no armor, so you can shoot it with any weapon, and the Crusher should fall very quickly.

Crushers are otherwise quite a simple enemy to deal with but are incredibly lethal. Their overhead slam attack has surprising reach and can kill Helldivers instantly. My only other tip is to keep as further away than you think is necessary from Crushers because I've been caught out by that overhead attack so many times – if you find yourself a little too close for comfort, start sprinting and diving to get out of clubbing range.

Latest Videos FromGamesRadar+
Watch full video here:
Helldivers 2 Veracitors and GatekeepersHelldivers 2 LeviathanBest Illuminate weapons

Helldivers 2 Veracitors and Gatekeepers: Make sure you know how to destroy these alien mechs
Helldivers 2 Leviathan: Learn how to kill Illuminate ships found in the hardest missions
Best Illuminate weapons: Anti-squid weaponry and tips for fighting the Illuminate

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming PS5 Xbox Series X Platforms PlayStation Xbox
Will Sawyer
Will Sawyer
Social Links Navigation
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Will Sawyer is a Guides Editor at GamesRadar+ with over five years of experience in writing online guides, news, and features, and has a BA (Hons) in Journalism. Starting as a freelancer, Will contributed to startmenu and Game Rant before joining the GamesRadar+ team in August 2021. Since then, he has written hundreds of guides about a huge range of games, with shooters and action games being his areas of expertise. Outside of writing about games, Will hops between multiplayer shooters with friends, such as Darktide and Helldivers 2, and delves into whatever has been on his backlog for far too long. He also tries to get through his never-ending Warhammer pile of shame of grey Tyranids, Aeldari, and Chaos Space Marines.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Helldivers 2 helldiver running away from automatons with Eruptor weapon equipped
Third Person Shooters Best Helldivers 2 Primary Weapons to use against the Terminids, Automatons, and Illuminate
 
 
Helldivers 2 helldiver running away from Illuminate with de-escalator
Third Person Shooters Best Helldivers 2 pistols and melee weapons to use against the Terminids, Automatons, and Illuminate
 
 
Helldivers 2 solo player triumphantly returning to super destroyer in celebration after completing a mission with sparklers going off on either side
Third Person Shooters How to play Helldivers 2 solo
 
 
Helldivers 2 helldiver running with Speagun support weapon
Third Person Shooters Best Support weapons in Helldivers 2
 
 
Helldivers 2 Entrenched Division warbond
Third Person Shooters Best Helldivers 2 Warbonds to buy first and tier list ranking all 21 of them
 
 
mistfall hunter greataxe berserker
Action RPGs Mistfall Hunter Greataxe Berserker location and tips
 
 
Latest in Third Person Shooters
Helldivers 2 Illuminate Wretch attacking player with arm claw
Third Person Shooters How to kill Illuminate Wretches in Helldivers 2
 
 
Marvel Rivals Spider-Man
Third Person Shooters Marvel Rivals hasn't beat Overwatch yet, but Disney boasts it's "attracted 40 million players"
 
 
Screenshot of one of Storm's MVP animations in Marvel Rivals, showing the superhero with lightning surging through her fingers as she looks to the sky.
Third Person Shooters Marvel Rivals devs respond to Storm summer skin controversy, promise to do better but say harassment "is not acceptable"
 
 
Arc Raiders character in wolf hood and gas mask
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders' Frozen Trail update is out October 8, Embark says "it's time to expand" as reviews dip
 
 
Max Payne screenshot
Max Payne Max Payne 1 and 2 remake is still happening, but publisher Rockstar won't let Remedy say any more
 
 
replay winners july
Third Person Shooters Here's Replay's July winners, each receiving a £/$250 Amazon voucher
 
 
Latest in Guides
Helldivers 2 Illuminate Wretch attacking player with arm claw
Third Person Shooters How to kill Illuminate Wretches in Helldivers 2
 
 
A press shot for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Golden Spirit codes showing a large number of character facing off from side to side
RPGs Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Golden Spirit codes (August 2026) for Astrogems, Coins, Cards, and more
 
 
Franz works at his Tarforge in Mortal Shell 2.
RPGs Where to find Franz in Mortal Shell 2
 
 
A Mortal Shell 2 beacon from which you can fast travel
RPGs How to unlock Mortal Shell 2 fast travel
 
 
The Mortal Shell 2 Slayer Seal sits on a throne in the Marrow Keep.
RPGs Mortal Shell 2 Slayer Seal and difficulties explained
 
 
The Harbinger lies prone after an attack in Mortal Shell 2, which takes upwards of 30 hours to beat.
RPGs How long is Mortal Shell 2?
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Ruk, a large black bird, sits atop a rock statue on the Mortal Shell 2 map
    1
    Mortal Shell 2 map and how to reveal it
  2. 2
    Who is Franz in Mortal Shell 2, and where can you find him?
  3. 3
    How long is Mortal Shell 2?
  4. 4
    How to unlock Mortal Shell 2 fast travel
  5. 5
    Should you equip the Mortal Shell 2 Slayer Seal?

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...