Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom overview: New swamp planet, enemies, and more explained

Helldivers 2's latest update, the Escalation of Freedom, is now live on PS5 and PC and it is perhaps the biggest one since the title's release. The update not only brings a host of quality-of-life and balancing changes but also features a lot of additional content, including a brand new version of the Swamp Planet, for players to enjoy.

From a more challenging difficulty preset to new enemy types, there's plenty for players to delve into in Helldivers 2's latest update. If that wasn't all, the Escalation of Freedom update also comes with new planetary hazards to spice up the moment-to-moment gameplay and the process of distributing managed democracy across the galaxy.

Here's a comprehensive look at all the new content that's packed into Helldivers 2's Escalation of Freedom update.

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Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom content overview

1) New difficulty preset and Swamp Planet variant

The biggest new feature of the Escalation of Freedom update is the Super Helldive difficulty preset, which increases the Combat Rating to 10. The CR10 preset will have you face off against new enemies as well as a new boss called The Impaler, alongside the regular wave of Automaton and Terminid threats.

In addition to Super Helldive, developer Arrowhead Game Studios also added a new variant of the Swamp Planet that is much more atmospheric and terrifying to navigate. It even has an eerie fog covering the majority of the landscape.

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2) New enemy types, and bigger outposts

The Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom update also features new enemy types, as well as a fan-favorite returning elite enemy—the Impaler. This is a returning enemy type from the original Helldivers that used to be one of the most terrifying elites to fend off. Additionally, new Automaton and Terminids were added.

New enemies include the Rocket Tank, Reinforced Scout Strider, Spore Charger, and Alpha Commander. Enemy outposts are now much bigger (on higher difficulties), with larger hordes, and more elites to face.

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3) New mission objectives and planetary hazard

With the new update, you will no longer have to repeat the same set of tasks for every Major Order. There are now two new secondary objectives (Faction-based). Alongside the new secondary objectives, there's also a new planetary hazard to look out for called Acid Storms. These can temporarily lower armor for both the Helldivers as well as the enemies.

The Acid Storms as well as the new secondary objectives are excellent additions to the game, making completing the new Major Orders a much more refreshing and fun experience for players.