It's time to suit up and squish some bugs as Helldivers 2's latest Major Order tasks us with killing 2 billion Terminids

The latest Major Order for Helldivers 2 has just dropped and, while I think killing 2 billion bugs in a week sounds slightly excessive, it seems as if this is no challenge at all for the dedicated Divers hellbent on spreading democracy.

Now the Automaton invasion has slowed down, the next directive is to refill the E-710 reserves and stage a counter-offensive strike to kill 2 billion Terminids. You may think that it's an impossible task, but never underestimate Helldivers 2 players, as they have already managed to exterminate 15 million in just over an hour. So by this rate, the Major Order should be completed well within the time frame of six days.

But even with the Divers' zealous nature, 2 billion bugs would require around 300,000 players to kill 6,600 Terminids apiece, so it's probably better to get stuck in as soon as possible. Helldivers 2 currently has just over 75,000 players, according to SteamDB, but this doesn't account for console players or the fact that most of the playerbase is probably asleep right now. So, if everything goes to plan, this could mean that the bugs on Estanu and Oshuane will be obliterated off the face of these planets.

Luckily, everyone seems more than happy enough to take part in a bit of bug squishing, given its simplicity and the fact that it means they don't have to fight Automatons. "For once, kills matter. Now let's go murder as many bugs as we can!" one player said. While another Diver seemed slightly hesitant with just how many Terminids were on the chopping board, "Good thing these bugs aren't sentient or anything; otherwise, some might say it sounds a bit genocidal. But not me. Good soldiers follow orders!"

While other players are just rejoicing at the fact that the Major Order is something other than defending or liberating a planet. "FINALLY. All the MOs so far have been the same s*** over and over—all about liberating x planet(s) or defending x planet(s)," one Reddit user says. "Having a new type of MO is some fresh air tbh. I really hope we see more of this, and hopefully start to get some with options soon too, giving us agency over the story."

Everyone loves a simple Major Order: up with Super Earth and down with bugs. But this straightforward directive may be Arrowhead or the infamous Game Master Joel gearing up for a narrative shift. Right now, I'm guessing that by the end of the week, we may get a new enemy to face up against. There's been a popular theory floating around for a while now that the Illuminates may make an appearance soon, thanks to a mysterious ship upgrade that promised "new stratagem permits".

Elie is a news writer with an unhealthy love of horror games—even though their greatest fear is being chased. When they're not screaming or hiding, there's a good chance you'll find them testing their metal in metroidvanias or just admiring their Pokemon TCG collection. Elie has previously worked at TechRadar Gaming as a staff writer and studied at JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs about Smash Bros. or any indie game that crossed their path.