For many players, the overarching galactic war in Helldivers 2 can seem confusing. You complete missions, see a progress bar move, and occasionally get a reward of Medals or Super Credits. This guide breaks down how these large-scale events, known as Major Orders, function based on common community play patterns and outcomes.

What is a Major Order?

A Major Order is a multi-day community objective set by the game’s developers. It presents a specific, often narrative-driven, goal for all Helldivers to contribute towards, such as liberating a set of planets, defending against invasions, or gathering resources. The outcome of these orders directly affects the ongoing galactic narrative and can unlock permanent or temporary gameplay benefits.

How Do Major Orders Actually Work in Practice?

In practice, every mission you run on a planet relevant to the active Major Order contributes to its completion. The game tallies the collective efforts of all players across platforms. Most players find it efficient to focus their mission runs on the highlighted planets for the order’s duration.

There are usually two types of outcomes:

Success: If the community meets the goal (e.g., achieving enough mission completions or liberation percentage) before the timer runs out, the narrative moves forward and rewards are distributed.

Failure: If the goal is not met, the story still progresses, but often with a negative consequence, like the loss of a strategic asset or an enemy gaining strength.

The rewards for success are typically a lump sum of Medals, and sometimes, a permanent gameplay upgrade. It’s worth noting that while Super Credits can be earned in missions, the only reliable way to obtain them is through gameplay; players should be wary of any external sites offering cheap helldivers 2 super credits, as these are not part of the game's intended systems and can pose risks.

A Practical Look at Past Major Orders

Let’s analyze some past orders to see how they typically play out. For instance, one order tasked players with securing resources to upgrade the Democracy Space Station (DSS). We were given a choice: liberate an Automaton planet to build an Exosuit Support Bay (reducing Exosuit Stratagem cooldowns by 35%) or liberate a Terminid planet for an Expanded Convocation Bay (reducing Eagle re-arm time by 15%). The community successfully liberated the Automaton world, and the Exosuit upgrade was permanently implemented. This is a clear example of a successful order leading to a tangible, lasting benefit for all players.

Conversely, some orders have a defensive nature. One required the community to defend a series of planets against a "Predator Strain" onslaught from the Terminids. The in-game dispatches provided a key strategic tip: liberating the enemy’s originating planet would end all associated attacks immediately. This highlighted an important gameplay loop: sometimes the most efficient defense is a swift, coordinated offensive on a specific world.

How Do Events and Dispatches Affect Gameplay?

During Major Orders, you’ll often see “Events” and “Dispatches” on your ship’s terminal. These aren’t just flavor text.

Events usually indicate temporary global modifiers. For example, an event might grant all players access to a specific Stratagem like the Heavy Machine Gun for a limited time, or it might impose a temporary penalty, such as reduced stim capacity.

Dispatches offer strategic intelligence. They might reveal which planet is the source of an enemy attack wave or provide lore context for the enemy’s actions. Most seasoned players check these regularly, as they can inform which planet to attack for maximum strategic impact.

What Should I Focus On as a Player?

In general, you should play the game you want to play. However, if your goal is to contribute to the communal effort:

Check the Major Order Tab: Always review the active order in your mission panel (“L1” on PlayStation, “Q” on PC) to understand the current objective.

Focus on Highlighted Planets: Run missions on the planets specified in the order. Higher difficulties contribute more, but any completed mission helps.

Adapt to Events: If a global event gives everyone a powerful weapon, consider it a good time to tackle harder missions. If a negative event is active, like increased enemy spawns, you might adjust your loadout accordingly.

Don’t Stress Over Failure: The war is designed to ebb and flow. A failed order often leads to new, interesting narrative developments and challenges. The community cannot win every single one, and losses create their own engaging stories.

Ultimately, Major Orders are the engine of Helldivers 2’s living narrative. They provide a shared goal that unites the player base, and your individual actions, no matter how small, are part of that larger story. The rewards are nice, but most players find the real satisfaction comes from seeing the direct result of the community’s collective efforts on the galactic map.