Helldivers 2's new Gunship factories seem to only have one weak point, and players are struggling: "The Hellbomb won't even kill it half the time"

Helldivers 2 intro cutscene helldiver thumbs up
(Image credit: Sony)

The skies of Helldivers 2 are getting increasingly clouded by swarms of Automaton Gunships, and the factories that keep spitting them out are proving a particular nuisance to democracy enthusiasts as they've begun to confirm that there's really only one good way to destroy these things: the Hellbomb.

Over on Reddit, a player who goes by keiXrome has done some extensive testing to figure out if there's an alternative way to take out Gunship factories. They've launched 16 500kb Bombs, called in six 380mm Orbital Barrages, launched eight Precision Strikes, fired 30 EAT-17 rounds, brought in an Orbital Laser, and even spent an entire game firing a Quasar Cannon at it.

Hellbombs are, indeed, your only option, but the Helldivers 2 Gunships that these factories spit out are remarkably adept at destroying those bombs before you can set them off. To add to the frustration, you can't even guarantee that one of these explosives will definitely destroy the factory. "Not only is it Hellbomb only, but the Hellbomb won't even kill it half the time," as another commenter on that post notes.

"I honestly don't mind that it takes a Hellbomb," another player argues. "So many of these unique enemies are just trivial because they can be removed so easily. I like the diversity they add, it's fun. It would be cool if there was a rare chance for them to be called in supporting dropships or something."

In a move Helldivers 2 soldiers call "uncalled for," devs nerf shotgun key to the war effort as it was "hands down the best sniper rifle" in the game.

Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.