Helldivers 2 has always featured multiple different kinds of planets and biomes, but it’s finally added an entirely new one alongside its Viper Commandos warbond that’s been a hit with fans. It is, of course, a jungle, perfect for everyone trying to relive their deepest Rambo or Predator fantasies.
Arrowhead’s cooperative shooter has featured vaguely forested and jungle-y environments in the past, such as the unforgettable Malevelon Creek, but Gacrux feels like an honest to goodness thicket. It’s dense with trees and traversing it feels like you’re trekking through a bog, but most importantly, it’s teeming with bugs, just like any biblically accurate jungle.
Fans of Helldivers 2 may have tired of the constant updates that frequently upended their loadouts and the balance of the game, but if there’s one thing they’ve absolutely been clamoring for more of, it’s biomes. Since launch, Helldivers 2 has heavily rotated between arid deserts, snow-trodden planets, the occasional verdant field, and more often than not, fucked up little inhospitable pockets of the galaxy. Yeah, I’m talking shit about Hellmire.
While Helldivers 2’s various settings have been gorgeously rendered, they’re also mostly barren, save for the occasional encampments and the enemies hoping to eviscerate you. Gacrux’s jungle is a stark departure from this philosophy due to how dense it feels, and players are enjoying what a wildly different biome the jungle has turned out to be. Line of sight can be broken pretty easily on Gacrux, which is advantageous for both players and enemies, making for occasional surprises. Players have become so infatuated with its density that they’re already dreaming up other biomes like it, including an urban setting they’ve now repeatedly called for.
On Gacrux, players are already managing tricks that they haven’t been able to pull elsewhere. One lucky son of a bitch managed to accidentally propel themself onto a tree away from an incoming Bile Titan. Words can’t properly describe what a hectic and cool scene it was, so just have a look.
Perhaps the best compliment I can pay the new biome, though, is this clip of someone saying it’s “like fucking Lousiana not some alien planet.” Another post claimed that if Arrowhead gave a similar jungle biome to the Automatons, it’d risk becoming another Malevelon Creek—a previously embattled planet that players adored and dubbed “Robot Vietnam” for its intensity and appearance. I fear that user might be right, and I pray it never happens.
Of course, excited Helldivers 2 players have flocked to Gacrux in order to check out the new digs, which has been rubbing some of its most hardcore players the wrong way. Gacrux isn’t actually part of the ongoing major order, meaning that everyone diving into the jungle isn’t contributing to the overall goal. Already, some folks are pleading for their fellow divers to divert their attention to the completion of the major order before spending the whole weekend playing with their new toy.
I don’t know how much luck those hoping to complete the major order will have, but it’s been an uncharacteristically good time for Helldivers 2 of late. After a spell of controversies that appeared like they might bury the game, Arrowhead has turned things around drastically in a very short time. A recent balance patch proved to be pretty popular despite breaking a notable weapon in the game, but the good will from that move, as well as the addition of this latest biome, seems to be putting Helldivers 2 over the top, and it’s good to see the game in great shape again.