Helldivers 2 Heart of Democracy update brings the fight home

Arrowhead Game Studios has launched its most ambitious Helldivers 2 update to date. The ‘Heart of Democracy’ update brings the war to the doorstep of Super Earth, which means the conflict will now look like a gritty, street-level fight for survival. Live as of May 20, 2025, the update introduces a dramatic shift in setting and gameplay, tasking players with defending urban environments from the onslaught of the Illuminate.

In this new chapter, players must defend cities overrun by the squid-like Illuminate. Plus, players have to protect civilians who now populate active battlefields, which also means that friendly fire against non-combatants is penalized. To add to this, players have to activate Planetary Defense Cannons to push back the enemy fleet.

Another highlight of this update is that, for the first time, AI-controlled SEAF troops join the fight, operating independently or following players to offer backup during missions. This adds a new layer of strategy to missions that already demand precision and coordination.

Thanks to this update, Helldivers 2 is witnessing reignited player interest. In fact, at the time of writing, the game is listed as ‘trending’ on Steam DB. It managed to reach a 24-hour peak of 134,527 players right after the update went live.

The Heart of Democracy update builds on last week’s rollout of primary weapon customization, letting players unlock attachments as they level up. These tweaks are critical for fending off new Illuminate enemies like the Crescent Overseer and the massive Fleshmob.

Helldivers 2 is available on PlayStation 5 (curr. $39.49 on Amazon) and PC (via Steam).