Helldivers 2 player discovers that Automaton Major Orders have no impact on the story

Major Orders are used in Helldivers 2 to advance the story by having the community of players complete certain actions, usually liberating planets from the Automatons or Terminids. The outcome of these, whether players are successful or fail, usually advances the story in a different direction and has a long-term impact on the lore and events of the game…or do they? While some have caused planets to be destroyed, and others led to the developers donating to a children’s hospital, most have little impact on the story.

U/CouldBeBetterTBH took to Reddit to discuss the recent history of Automaton-based Major Orders and has discovered that the success or failure has had very little impact on the overall story of Helldivers 2. In the post, they note that out of the past 11 Major Orders that have sent players to Automaton planets, only six have been successful, giving players just over a 50% success rate.

This is largely due to most players favoring the Terminids and being unwilling to switch enemy types to complete a Major Order. However, out of the six successful Major Orders, only one has had a long-term impact on the story of the game. Here is a list of all of the successful Automaton Major Orders since April 2024.

“April 2024:

• Halt the Automaton Advance: The Menkent Line is established and is then immediately broken the moment it comes under attack.
• Defense of Marfark: Marfark is held and is then immediately lost the moment it’s attacked again due to the majority of Helldivers choosing to focus instead on the culling of Terminids to farm E-710.
• Defense on Two Fronts: While the Terminid front held relatively well with minimal losses the Automaton front suffered major incursions that lost them several planets.

May 2024:

• Hold Planets for SEAF Conscription: Aesir Pass and Vernen-Wells are held and have SEAF Bases constructed to increase the overall strength of SEAF personnel throughout the entire galaxy… both planets are then immediately lost, their bases destroyed and their bonuses lost forever.
• Liberate Automaton Petafactory on Varylia 5: The Emancipator Exosuit is secured and shipped to all active Helldivers… the Emancipator unfortunately fails to provide a significant impact when used against Automaton forces due to the abundance of explosive ordinance employed by the Automatons and instead finds the best use when deployed against Terminids as a Bug-Nest destroyer.

June 2024:

• Capture Database One: Information Database is secured and is currently being decrypted. Status of worlds captured during this Order [PENDING]”

The Reddit user then concludes their findings by noting that “Nearly every single one of our “Victories” on the Automaton front is universally spat on and erased within a week of achieving it, and the one “Victory” that currently endures only benefits those that are fighting against the Terminids. We have not had a single victory that we can proudly claim as ours because of how short-lived and irrelevant they all are, I don’t think people even remember the time when we managed to push the Automatons out because of how quickly they counterattacked and how thoroughly they’re currently obliterating us.”

This is a stark contrast to the Terminid-focused Major Orders, which have seen a long-term impact on the story, including the destruction of Meridia which now has a black hole in its place, permanently altering the map for the rest of Helldivers 2’s lifecycle.

As an Automaton main, seeing it laid out does make me realize that players not wanting to jump into Automaton Major Orders doesn’t really make a difference, except for missing out on Medals to unlock new items in the Warbonds. Hopefully, a developer at Arrowhead Game Studios sees this information and takes steps to improve the impact that the Automatons have on the game. But, whether you prefer the Automatons or Terminids, your loadout can be the difference between success or failure. To ensure you’re equipped for victory, we highly recommend checking out our Helldivers 2 best weapons guide and best armor guide so you and your team can serve Liber-tea to whichever enemy type you want to spread democracy to.