Helldivers 2’s latest mission is about collecting samples, but it could have a much more interesting payoff: using the Gloom to zip about faster than light

Helldivers 2 just got a fresh Major Order and no matter whether you’re still reeling from failing the last one, or have just discovered that you can access the game via Steam for the first time in ages, you might want to pay attention not just to your latest task, but what it could lead to.

After the last MO brought the freshly-updated Democracy Space Station back into play to help battle the Illuminate, now you’re back off to the bug front. Not that you necessarily weren’t there last order, if you’re a hardcore bugdiver.

At a glance, this latest MO looks like nothing special. Extract 22 million common samples from Erata Prime, 15 million rare ones from Gacrux, and make sure Super Earth’s in control of Fenrir III by the end of the order in about four days’ time.

It’s what this is in aid of that’s a bit more interesting. You’ll be helping develop tech to aid the divers in dealing with “The Gloom” – that’s the weird spore cloud that’s long filled a bunch of Terminid-controlled sectors. As it turns out, it might be useful for more than just making your ship need foglights.

“Recent experimentation on Terminids using collected Gloom spores indicate that Gloom-induced mutations may dramatically increase Element 710-yield,” reads Arrowhead’s full briefing, adding that tests have suggested that yield can go up to as much as ten times the norm.

“The implications of this result are monumental,” it continues, “The Gloom may represent a vast, untapped source of new energy. Its exploitation could enable FTL travel beyond military and colony settlement operations – expanding to trade and research sectors, as well as to more military and colony settlement operations.”

So, maybe it’ll help add some new elements to the stuff Super Earth has at its disposal, beyond just the DSS. Or, maybe it do exactly what a lot of players think – go totally wrong and have a consequence like making a bunch of even tougher bugs, possibly escaped Gloom mutation test subijects or something like that.

We’ll just have to wait and see, but this is Helldivers 2 – it’ll probably be both.