Few live-service games have mastered the art of turning players into active participants in their own story. Helldivers 2* has done it again with its Machinery of Oppression update, which drops players into Cyberstan—a brutal, industrial fortress where the stakes feel higher than ever. Unlike previous campaigns, this isn’t just another wave of enemies to mow down. It’s a calculated gamble, where every life lost in the assault on the Automaton capital could mean the difference between victory and failure.
The campaign begins with a twist on classic Helldivers lore: the Cyborgs have stolen blueprints for the Star of Peace, a weapon capable of destroying planets. Super Earth can’t let that stand—but neither can it afford to send its divers into a meat grinder without a plan. The result? A full-scale invasion of Cyberstan, where players must navigate a labyrinth of factories, power stations, and propaganda-spewing Vox Engines while outnumbered and outgunned.
What makes this update stand out isn’t just the scale of the operation, but the way it forces players to adapt. The Bastion Tank—a WWII-era tank destroyer—adds a layer of tactical teamwork, requiring coordination between gunner and driver to take down heavily armored targets. Meanwhile, the return of Cyborgs introduces a new kind of threat: relentless, adaptive enemies that can hack your gear mid-fight. And then there are the Vox Engines, colossal mobile turrets that rain down fire from above, their only weakness a narrow gap between their tracks—turning every engagement into a high-stakes game of dodge-and-destroy.
The Hardest Campaign Yet
If previous updates felt like a warm-up, Cyberstan is the main event. Players now face a life counter that ticks down with every failed mission, and the numbers don’t lie: over 300 million divers have already died in the assault. The game’s GM system, led by the infamous Joel, has never been more active, introducing Strategic Imperatives—sub-objectives that shift the tide of the war. Need more lives? Complete a Terminid operation. Want to secure reinforcements? Defend a key outpost. These choices aren’t just flavor; they directly impact whether the Democracy will hold Cyberstan.
For players who’ve followed the galactic war from the start, this feels like a culmination of everything Helldivers 2 does best. There’s no hand-holding here. Missions are brutal, respawns are scarce, and the Automatons aren’t just throwing waves—they’re adapting. It’s the kind of campaign that rewards preparation, punishes hesitation, and leaves you breathless when it works.
A Live-Service Masterclass
Two years after launch, Helldivers 2 remains one of the few live-service titles that feels like an event rather than a grind. Most games drip-feed content in isolation, but Cyberstan is a communal experience. Players aren’t just spectators; they’re architects of the story. Want to revive frozen divers from Fort Justice? That’s a community effort. Need to hold a bridge against Cyborg waves? That’s a team play. The Forces in Reserve system ensures that every player’s actions ripple across the galaxy, making even solo sessions feel connected to a larger narrative.
It’s a rare achievement in live-service gaming—a campaign that doesn’t just entertain but involves. Whether you’re a veteran of the galactic war or a newcomer, Cyberstan delivers the kind of tension that turns every match into a moment. And with no guarantees of victory, the real question isn’t if the Democracy will fall—it’s whether you’ll* be the one to hold the line.
