"Super Earth has been invaded": Helldivers 2 players failed their last Major Order, so now they have to fight to save their homeworld in the new Heart of Democracy update

Helldivers 2 players failed in their recent attempt to hold back the Illuminate, sparking a new update that will see them fighting on the streets of their beloved Super Earth.

Tasked with holding a handful of nearby planets, Helldivers 2's community was overwhelmed by the Illuminate. Earlier this morning, they lost the final stronghold of New Haven, giving the game's newest enemy faction a clear run at the homeworld. It didn't take long for them to strike, or for developer Arrowhead to roll out the new Heart of Democracy update.

The headline change in that update is the arrival of Super Earth - the heart of the Helldivers galaxy - as a playable planet for the first time since the game's launch. In a blog post, the devs confirmed that players are tasked with repelling the Illuminate invasion, liberating their home planet city by city. There's a distinct note of Winston Churchill's famous 'we will fight them on the beaches' speech here, though it's unsurprisingly couched in Arrowhead's signature parody.

To help with that, you'll have use of some fancy planetary defense towers, as well as AI squads that will either battle the Illuminate by themselves, or can be ordered to fight alongside the Helldivers. Those won't be the only friendly AI you'll encounter, however, as you'll also have to keep citizens safe - and make sure to avoid any friendly fire.

You'll also have the benefit of the weapon customization system that Arrowhead helpfully rolled out last week, as well as all the new firepower included in the associated Masters of Ceremony warbond, which dropped alongside it. What happens if neither of those upgrades is enough to turn back the Illuminate, I don't know - if this is Super Earth's last stand, does Helldivers 2 simply get shut down if we lose?

Get a leg up with our best Helldivers 2 weapons tier list.