Helldivers 2 Community Unlocks Mechs After Liberating Tien Kwan

The Helldivers 2 community has liberated Tien Kwan just a day after it became available to play, unlocking the use of mechs in the process. But before you log to stomp on bugs and shoot up bots, there’s something you need to know first.

While on your spaceship, check out the stratagems list and scroll to the bottom. There you’ll see the EXO-45 Patriot Exosuit, which comes equipped with a rocket launcher and heavy machine gun. There’s a catch: the stratagem is available at level 25 priced 20,000 requisition.

However, for a limited time all players can call one mech in for free per mission, thanks to a temporary permit. But after that permit expires then players will need to buy the level 25 stratagem.

Helldivers 2 is just a month old, which means there will be a lot of players who have yet to hit such a high level. Prior to the exosuit’s arrival, the highest level required for a stratagem was 20. This temporary permit feels like a way for developer Arrowhead to give all players a taste of mech gameplay going into this weekend, before the stratagem must be bought at level 25.

Mechs have unlocked as part of Helldivers 2’s ongoing Galactic War, a meta narrative that sees the soldiers of Super Earth (players) work to “liberate” planets from the Terminids and Automatons. Developer Arrowhead had challenged the Helldivers 2 community to liberate Tien Kwan or risk delaying the release of the mechs. Thousands of players then descended upon the planet to ensure the arrival of the long-awaited stratagem as soon as possible. It took just 24 hours.

It’s been a tumultuous week in the world of Helldivers 2, which saw the game’s first balance patch nerf its best loadout, an associated backlash, and a subsequent response from Arrowhead. Helldivers 2 has become one of the surprise hits of 2024 since launching in February, topping the charts on Steam and reportedly selling around three million copies. According to at least one analyst, it’s still growing. Check out IGN’s Helldivers 2 review to find out why it’s going down so well, as well as the best loadouts.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.