Helldivers 2 has been known to tease their updates through in-game Easter Eggs and messages, an approach that was repeated in February 2026. A mysterious message asking Helldivers to defect from Super Earth was received as a Major Order recently, posting a strange objective to “kill” a One True Flag Stratagem, a crucial symbol of Super Earth. While more details behind this order have been revealed, its existence may suggest an interesting future for the co-op shooter.
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A message in all caps was sent out on February 8, 2026, suggested to players in Helldivers 2 that the Super Earth government had lied to them. Given the hyper-patriotism of this game’s lore, this came as a shock to many players as something definitely out of the ordinary. The constant changes to the intergalactic war in Helldivers 2 has usually followed these types of messages, including the introduction of new factions, the shifting of missions, and other in-game events that have enticed players to continue queuing up with friends.
Helldivers 2 Has Teased The Ability To Defect From Super Earth Through The Cyborg Legion’s Return
These anti-Super Earth messages players received turned out to be a reveal of the Cyborg Legion, the half-human, half-Automaton enemies that preceded the robotic faction from the game’s launch. This group has now been freed, and is ready to attack any Helldivers that stand in their way as a new threat to the galaxy alongside the Illuminate and Terminids. More messages from the Legion have been sent to players, calling them “cannon fodder,” and saying that Super Earth has lied to them, and asking them to defect at the same time.
This situation is, of course, manufactured by the developers to make it seem like Super Earth systems are being hacked by the returning Cyborgs. This is a fun way to get players invested in the sub-faction’s return, bringing them back to the fan-favorite planet of Cyberstan for more missions related to fighting the Legion at every turn. However, the way this is being handled is somewhat different from Helldivers 2‘s usual approach, suggesting that it might be something more.
For a long time, fans have easily recognized the over-zealous nature of Super Earth, and the Federation faction they fight for. The Cyborg Legion’s message about players being “poorly informed about the war” and “they [Super Earth] lie to you” are technically true statements calling out the game’s biggest irony. With so many calls to “defect” from Super Earth, there is speculation that perhaps this might be possible in a future update if the Legion remains a central focus.
While the Cyborg Legion’s Major Order of destroying a Super Earth flag was impossible, the idea of going back on the hyper-patriotism and becoming a defector is exciting. This would change everything players know about mission structures, injecting new life into a game whose formula has gotten predictable at times. This could happen in a variety of ways, from a special Stratagem that changes your faction affinity until you die, to something larger that impacts gameplay outside of missions.
PvP Systems Or Defecting Choices Add Exciting Lore To Helldivers 2’s Intergalactic Story
Much like ARC Raiders approach to multiplayer, a “defect” system to Helldivers 2 could introduce some PvP into the game within fun moments. While there is enough friendly fire in Helldivers 2 for it to be considered competitive in some way, the ability to switch sides to fight alongside the Cyborg Legion mid-mission could add some fun chaos to how missions work. Special rewards or cosmetics that make your character look like a cyborg would be easy incentives for players to betray Super Earth.
Introducing defecting soldiers would also give some players better reasons to fight for Super Earth too. With the idea of “traitors” or “deserters,” Helldivers could go into missions with greater intensity, trying to fight the Cyborg Legion harder with the knowledge that their propaganda made one of their friends switch sides. For the in-game context of Helldivers 2‘s world, the possibilities that defectors introduces is incredibly rich, even if it is hard to implement through gameplay.
Just having the Cyborgs return is still an exciting update, at least for the way it was revealed through mysterious and false Major Orders within the game. However, changing Helldivers 2 through a “defect” system might be just what the multiplayer title needs to re-capture the fan base it had when it was one of the most played games of 2024.
Do you think Helldivers 2 should implement a system where players can betray Super Earth? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
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