How to activate the Terminid Control System in Helldivers 2

(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)

Working out how to activate the Terminid Control System isn't the hardest part of Helldivers 2's new mission type—no, that would be defending the system from hordes of murderous bugs while you wait for it to boot up. Just like the infamous evacuate essential personnel missions from the Automaton defence, this mission type is unique to the new major order.

It's a little tricky, too, as you have to work out which terminals to activate and then defend some silos against bugs. And if you mess up, you've got to do it all over again. Taking one of the best Helldivers 2 weapons will definitely help, though, as well as the best stratagems. Whatever you bring, here's how to activate the Terminid Control System and complete the new mission.

How to activate the Terminid Control System

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Helldivers 2 Activate Terminid Control System — The Activate Terminid Control System missions are new for this major order(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)

If you remember the bot defence missions from when the Automatons were invading, this new mission should feel pretty familiar. Essentially, you drop into a small map and have to turn on one of the new big bug sprayers that Super Earth has been building.

This requires you to complete a few specific steps:

Press the big button at the base of the main Termicide Tower at the centre of the installation.
Turn on each of the three Battery Silos marked on the map using the terminal near each. These are easy to spot since they're giant missile-shaped silos numbered between one and three. As soon as you activate the terminal, bug breaches will appear and bugs will start swarming around the base of the silo, attacking it. If the silo takes too much damage, it'll shut off, and you'll have to activate the terminal again. Make sure to defend each silo so it can power up.
Once you've activated all three one by one, head to the extraction site. Here, you'll find a yellow terminal where you can Initiate Termicide Dispersal. After a short while, it'll start spewing bug gas, and then you can call for extraction and escape.

The trickiest part of this mission is defending each Battery Silo since they take damage from your airstrikes as well. One misplaced eagle can remove the generator's entire health bar, meaning you have to start again. I personally recommend the EMS Mortar Sentry if you have it, to slow down anything approaching, and then sentries of your choice. Though dangerous for friendly fire, the Mortar Sentry doesn't seem too bad in terms of damaging the silos, so that's definitely an option.

Either way, make sure you're set up to defend the silo before you activate the terminal at each, since bug breaches will spawn straight away, and you'll then have to cover the silo on multiple sides as the Terminids come rushing in.

Sean's first PC games were Full Throttle and Total Annihilation and his taste has stayed much the same since. When not scouring games for secrets or bashing his head against puzzles, you'll find him revisiting old Total War campaigns, agonizing over his Destiny 2 fit, or still trying to finish the Horus Heresy. Sean has also written for EDGE, Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, EGMNOW, and Inverse.