Skip to main content
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
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • 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
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • 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
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • 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
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • 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
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Helldivers 2 soldier with an explosion reflecting in their visor
Third Person Shooters As death threats derail Helldivers 2's wholesome D10 challenge, devs address “increasing hostility in the community”
Helldivers 2 Entrenched Division warbond helldivers in sapper armor running across no-man's-land
Third Person Shooters All weapons and items in the Helldivers 2 Entrenched Division Warbond
Helldivers 2 screenshot of two soldiers cheering in the desert
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 retires gratuitous 154GB Steam build this month in favor of "slim" PC version
Helldivers 2 democratic detonation warbond page
Third Person Shooters Best Helldivers 2 Warbonds to buy first and tier list ranking all 19 of them
Helldivers 2 soldier watches a nuclear explosion in the distance with his arms stretched wide
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 CEO seems to accept fans' $1,000 challenge to play on the nastiest difficulty, but it's already backfiring
Helldivers 2 soldier in intro animation with shocked expression
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 fan intent on challenging Arrowhead to beat the game's toughest challenge for $1,000: "No funny business"
Helldivers 2 Helldiver looking at snowy automaton base getting bombarded by two orbital 380mm HE barrages
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 Stratagem tier list and the best ones to choose
Helldivers 2
Co-op Games Helldivers 2 support agent says "there's no balance team" at Arrowhead because "it's all a team effort"
Helldivers 2 PS5 screenshot
Games The 25 best online games to play in 2026
Cropped Helldivers 2 art from the official 'Save Cyberstan' poster.
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 devs "underinvested" in the game's engine, Arrowhead CEO admits, who pledges "things can/will get better"
Cropped Helldivers 2 art from the official 'Save Cyberstan' poster.
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 players cheated so hard that Arrowhead had to "disable the Galactic War" and change a Major Order
A player shooting at a robot enemy with no health bar in Arc Raiders
Third Person Shooters I love exploring in Arc Raiders, but there's so much I wish I'd known before I set out
Helldivers 2 Commando mission sneaking past automaton outpost
Third Person Shooters Tips for beating the new Helldivers 2 Commando Missions and the best gear
Helldivers 2 Bastion tank near an automaton base with automatons directly ahead of it
Third Person Shooters How to unlock the new Bastion Tank in Helldivers 2 and some tips for how to use it
Helldivers 2 Cyborg Radical standing over helldiver
Third Person Shooters All new Helldivers 2 Cyborgs and the best weapons for killing them
  1. Games
  2. Action Games
  3. Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 players trying to draw soldiers to Mantes to fight the Automatons are facing a huge problem: Fighting the bots isn't fun

News
By Hirun Cryer published 25 March 2024

It's tough for Super Earth's soldiers to think strategically

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

Helldivers 2 PS5 screenshot
(Image credit: SIE)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get 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!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

With the current Major Order looking all but complete, Helldivers 2 players are attempting to rally their fellow soldiers to the fight on Mantes. The issue, though, is that plenty of people don't fancy the fight against the Automatons.

The current Major Order in Helldivers 2 commands players to liberate Zagon Prime and Fori Prime against the Terminid hordes. Despite this, some players are attempting to draw others away from the actual Major Order and help liberate planets like Mantes, which have continually come under threat from the deadly Automaton forces. 

Just below, you can see a smattering of popular posts on the Helldivers 2 subreddit that have all surfaced over the past 24 hours. The posts attempt to highlight that Super Earth's forces are losing the fight on Mantes. If they lose the planet entirely to the Automatons, the entire Xzar sector might actually fall, setting the Galactic War effort back in a big way.

You may like
  • Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him Helldivers 2 players fail the game's "biggest" battle ever as the Cyborgs prepare for an "unjust counter-offensive"
  • Cropped Helldivers 2 art from the official 'Save Cyberstan' poster. Helldivers 2's Cyborgs are real, and they'd kindly like you to "defect" from Super Earth
  • Cropped Helldivers 2 art from the official 'Save Cyberstan' poster. Helldivers 2 director on the game's "biggest" battle ever: "We don't know what will happen"
We have to DEFEND MANTES. The major order is under control for now. We should rush MANTES and stop the breakout in the XZAR Sector. from r/Helldivers
ATTENTION ALL HELLDIVERS: With all needed Bug planets held, we must DIVERT to Mantes and take back what is ours. The XZAR sector! For Liberty, For Democracy! from r/Helldivers
We're gonna lose Mantes unless divers reposition to the bot front. from r/Helldivers

Drawing players to Mantes is turning out to be a really difficult task. The post below, for example, explains that developer Arrowhead is well aware that most players don't like fighting the bots. That's why we've only seen one Major Order against the bots to date. Even then, it took mechs being dangled in front of players for the Major Order on Tien Kwan to succeed. 

The devs appear to have a problem on their hands: The playerbase doesn't seem to enjoy fighting bots. from r/Helldivers

There are all sorts of responses in the comments explaining why players hate fighting the Automatons. One player claims a bot drop ship can withstand 12 shots from an Autocannon, and letting a drop-ship descend on a planet and unleash a horde of chainsaw-wielding Automatons is pretty frustrating, especially when you've shot the ship a dozen times. 

The post below, meanwhile, tries to reason with players reluctant to fight the bots by imparting some great knowledge. The player says to ditch aspects like the Guard Dogs and shotguns, and instead go for the Shield backpack option and the Liberator Penetrator for a better shot at handling the hordes. A commenter adds that an Eagle Airstrike can supposedly kill the feared Hulks in just one hit. 

In hopes of increasing player count on the bot front, here are some tactics to help kill bots so it's not so frustrating. If you have questions about anything specific, I will answer in the comments. from r/Helldivers

Not everyone is keen to see the continuing trend of soldiers rallying troops to other plants. A case and point is the post below, which reads: "MY BROTHER IN FREEDOM: THEY'RE PLAYING THE GAME, NOT ON REDDIT. SHUT UP." It's a little harsh, sure, but you can't really argue with the fact that the vast majority of Helldivers 2 players aren't trawling the game's subreddit every day. They're simply playing the game and doing what they're told by Game Master Joel to complete the Major Orders. 

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.

We saw it earlier this month, with fans worried that the obsession with recapturing the infamous Malevelon Creek might derail the war effort, with Ustotu and Draupnir needing attention at that moment.

PSA: For all Posts Asking players to stop X planet and do Y instead from r/Helldivers

Whether you want to head over to Mantes or not, you'd do well to keep an eye on Helldivers.io. The player-driven website updates the Galactic War effort across multiple planets at once, so you can see which planets are in danger of being lost, and which could really do with a helping hand from players. Good luck to the players on Mantes - they'll need it.

As Helldivers 2 players call for an extension to the latest Major Order following tracking errors and game crashes, others say losing the battle is part of winning the war. 

CATEGORIES
PS5 PC Gaming Platforms PlayStation
Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Social Links Navigation
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

Read more
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him
Helldivers 2 players fail the game's "biggest" battle ever as the Cyborgs prepare for an "unjust counter-offensive"
 
 
Cropped Helldivers 2 art from the official 'Save Cyberstan' poster.
Helldivers 2's Cyborgs are real, and they'd kindly like you to "defect" from Super Earth
 
 
Cropped Helldivers 2 art from the official 'Save Cyberstan' poster.
Helldivers 2 director on the game's "biggest" battle ever: "We don't know what will happen"
 
 
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him
Completely "pancake" Automatons threatening democracy with "new heavy-hitting" Bastion Tank in Helldivers 2
 
 
Cropped Helldivers 2 art from the official 'Save Cyberstan' poster.
Helldivers 2 players cheated so hard that Arrowhead had to "disable the Galactic War" and change a Major Order
 
 
Helldivers 2 factions
Faced with the bots' attempts at peace, Helldivers 2 players shoot down "baseless propaganda" as anti-freedom drivel
 
 
Latest in Action Games
Bizarre Lineage codes
Bizarre Lineage codes (March 2026) for free Stat Point Essence, Rare Chests, and more
 
 
Kratos approaches Aphrodite's bedchamber in God of War 3
"The God of War sex mini-games were designed by women," which is why Aphrodite's bed looks "like a labia"
 
 
GTA 6
Some of GTA 6's big ideas are likely hiding in GTA 5, ex-Rockstar dev predicts – and you can look at GTA 4 to see why
 
 
Screenshot from Ratcheteer DX, showing a GBC-style cave with four pixelated characters finding warmth around a fire.
The Legend of Zelda-esque game mimics the GameBoy to GameBoy Color transition, goes from retro handheld to PC and Switch
 
 
Musashi examines the oni gauntlet with a confused expression in Onimusha: Way of the Sword
Not content with stopping the avalanche of AAA games Capcom teases even more unannounced games before April 2027
 
 
A crop of the MindsEye key art for a review header
"Overwhelming evidence of organized espionage": MindsEye CEO blames launch on "corporate sabotage" amid more layoffs
 
 
Latest in News
Steam logo from Valve
Valve says "more games are finding success" on Steam than ever, and nearly 6,000 made over $100,000 last year
 
 
Robert rides the elevator to work in Dispatch with his dog Beef, looking out of place surrounded by superheroes
Dispatch leads faced down publishers telling them single-player narrative games were "niche, or worse, dead"
 
 
Wonderer heads to the Spire in a screenshot from Slay the Spire 2's animated reveal trailer
Xbox lead thinks "we have been in a golden age for indies" since 2008, and it's "a fantastic time to be a developer" if you ignore all the smoke
 
 
Xbox - Future Owns
Xbox teases "some iconic games from the past" to be re-released in 2026 from its "game preservation team"
 
 
The cowboy cat from the desert in Mewgenics
Steam expert advises devs stick to the "Little League" section with friendslop before attempting anything like Mewgenics
 
 
Donkey Kong Bananza screenshot of Donkey Kong punching through the landscape with pieces of banana flying through the air
With Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo learned "it is more fun to destroy that which is beautiful"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Steam logo from Valve
    1
    Valve peels back the curtain in rare Steam presentation: "More games are finding success" than ever, and nearly 6,000 made over $100,000 last year
  2. 2
    Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man director explains how the Netflix movie differs from the show: "Inherently, it is more cinematic in its conception"
  3. 3
    The Dispatch leads had "a mix of arrogance and stupidity" as they faced down publishers telling them single-player narrative games were "niche, or worse, dead"
  4. 4
    Xbox lead thinks "we have been in a golden age for indies" since 2008, and it's "a fantastic time to be a developer" if you ignore all the smoke: "The present is awesome"
  5. 5
    The Future Games Show returns this week - here's how to watch

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
  • Accessibility Statement

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

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...