It Took Helldivers 2 Players Less Than 24 Hours to Kill 2 Billion Bugs — and Super Earth Sounds Surprised

Now that’s what I call a bug hunt! It took Helldivers 2 players less than 24 hours to complete its latest Major Order: to kill two billion Terminids.

On April 18, developer Arrowhead triggered the next step in Helldivers 2’s ongoing Galactic War after the PC and PlayStation 5 co-op shooter’s community successfully completed a Major Order to slow a significant Automaton invasion. Game Master Joel turned players’ attention to the Terminid front with the biggest kill order since the game’s explosive launch in February.

Helldivers 2 players were given six days to kill two billion Terminids, which sounded like an insurmountable task, but players made it clear they’d hit the kill count sooner rather than later. So fast was progress that some wondered if Helldivers 2’s Terminid kill tracker was bugged.

But today, April 19, the Major Order is complete and medals have been dished out to players as a reward. Cementing the achievement is an in-universe message from the official Helldivers 2 Twitter account:

2 billion bugs dead in less than a day.

Helldivers, Terminid planets run red with liberty thanks to this inspiring display of pre-emptive self-defence.

Your designated [loved one/relative/pet/neighbour] on Super Earth has been informed of your bravery.https://t.co/Lu4m5wHFZo

— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) April 19, 2024

In the game itself, messages celebrating Super Earth’s victory make clear this bug clearout came as something of a surprise.

”In further proof of their elite training and irreplaceable value, the Helldivers reached the target set for Terminid biomass production far faster than anticipated,” the message reads. “While additional destruction of Liberty’s enemies is always beneficial, E-710 refinement pipelines are full at the present time. However, there will be ample opportunities for additional biomass production in the future.

“Super Earth High Command commends the Helldivers for their boundless enthusiasm to destroy the enemies of Freedom.”

The upshot of this is Helldivers 2 players head into the weekend without a Major Order to work towards, which means it’s weapons free time for the community. That’s no bad thing, really. Kill Automatons or Terminids or whatever you fancy!

As Arrowhead maintains the Galactic War and adds new content to the game, it’s also battling bugs of a different kind. This push and pull was a topic discussed by CEO Johan Pilestedt recently as part of a fascinating insight into Arrowhead’s live service philosophy. If you’re looking for more on Helldivers 2, check out IGN’s feature on the Let Me Solo Her of Helldivers 2, a player who has answered over 100 SOS Beacons as part of a mission to help others.

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.

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.