A reality that nobody could have predicted has come to pass: flying bugs have swept across the galaxy in Helldivers 2. While the Ministry of Truth announced the “surprise” mutation earlier this week, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt took until today to comment on the troubling development that he previously declared was impossible.
“I’ve heard rumors of flying bugs in Helldivers 2. I want to officially refute such preposterous claims,” Pilestedt assured us last week. The statement came in response to what were pretty cut-and-dry sightings of flying bugs, called Shriekers, in some Helldivers 2 sessions. Pilestedt was quick to dismiss these sightings as “propaganda from bug sympathizers.”
Now that the existence of Shriekers is official, Ministry of Truth-approved knowledge, Pilestedt has amended his view on the matter.
“I want to be very clear: I have always believed there to be a possibility of flying bugs,” he tweeted today. “Everyone knows that ‘Most bugs fly’ and it was only a matter of time before this strain would evolve naturally.”
Pilestedt also commented on the reasonable theory that the Shrieker mutation could have been triggered by Super Earth’s recent dousing of poisonous Termicide gas on Terminid-controlled border planets, an observation that the CEO considers “completely coincidental and unrelated.”
“9/9 Reputable and Super Earth-sanctioned scientists agree.” Well, that’s good enough for me—only an enemy of liberty would question a consensus of Super Earth experts.
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While the possibility of mutated Terminids is an alarming new reality to live in, the good news for us helldivers is, we have a fresh target. Shriekers will now appear in Terminid missions of any medium-high difficulty as a random side objective. Swarms of the flying vermin will emerge as you get close to their mushroom-shaped nests. Like Stalkers, Shriekers will just keep coming until the nest is destroyed.
You’ll be likely to encounter them this weekend if you pursue HQ’s new major order, which calls for the defense of planets deep in Terminid space. The order is something of a makeup task after the community failed its previous mission. As punishment, requests for sex will be denied until further notice.