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

Helldivers 2 PS5 screenshot
(Image credit: SIE)

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.

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. 

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

Hirun Cryer

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.