The new Helldivers 2 major order forces you to make a difficult decision, and fast

A new Helldivers 2 major order has arrived, and if you thought our previous challenge was a lot to deal with, this next is even more taxing – but for a different reason. One of the biggest surprise hits of the year so far, the fantastic co-op game continues to move from strength to strength with its latest Warbond and regular drops of new equipment. Now, however, we must make a tough choice, and only one of the options can be saved.

The latest Helldivers 2 update sends us to the Automaton-controlled Lacaille Sector, where our goal is to liberate the planets of Choohe and Penta. The new major order for the co-op game, which demands successful campaigns in both locations, is set to last for a total of three days, so we’ll have until Monday April 29 to complete the task. The twist is that new Helldivers 2 stratagems are being developed on each of the planets, and we’ll only have the chance to save one of them from being lost.

“Major Order: Helldivers, it’s time to choose between liberating Choohe or Penta,” the Arrowhead Game Studios team writes via the game’s official X (Twitter) account and Discord. “Depending on your choice, you will receive either the MD-17 Anti-Tank Mines or the RL-77 Airburst Rocket Launcher. (And you’ll save the citizens. Don’t forget the citizens.)”

The post also confirms that “Only the stratagem on the first liberated planet can be saved,” so don’t get it in your heads that we’ll just get both rewards once the planets have been successfully democratized. The in-game dispatch does sound slightly more hopeful, noting that “Likely, only the citizens and weaponry of the first planet liberated will be saved.”

It’s a tough pick. The Airburst Rocket Launcher (currently being synthesized on Penta) seems the early candidate to be the community consensus choice, especially given the prevalence of Automaton Gunships nowadays, and I will admit that I tend to favor reactive stratagems over proactive emplacements, as they’re a little more flexible.

That said, the more heavily armored units can be pretty scary, and if the Anti-Tank Mines (undergoing testing on Choohe) are strong enough to deal with those, that could make them a very welcome addition to your best Helldivers 2 loadout, especially for defense missions. There are already quite a few Helldivers 2 weapons capable of dealing with the airborne terrors, so perhaps we don’t urgently need another.

Only time will tell what players choose, and without getting hands-on it’s a bit of a gamble either way. It seems likely that, given enough time, we’ll eventually unlock the other option as well – lost research can always be repeated, and supplies can be regathered – but for the time being, we’ll have to make do with what we have.

Looking to join the fight? Our guide to the best Helldivers 2 armor will help keep you safe, along with all the details on the new Helldivers 2 Warbond, Democratic Detonation, and everything you can unlock if you choose to pick it up.

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