How to change the difficulty in Helldivers 2

Push it to the limit.

A group of 3 Helldivers, recently finished killing some bugs, in Helldivers 2.
Image via Arrowhead Studios

When you rack up more hours in Helldivers 2, you’ll get used to the game mechanics, allowing you to push through higher difficulty levels. However, you’ll first need to change the difficulty in Helldivers 2 since it’s not an automated process.

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One-shotting enemies can be fun, but the real party begins when you start battling more challenging enemies. For this reason, I focused on unlocking more difficulty settings in Helldivers 2 right after grasping the basics. Choosing the right difficulty setting amongst all the options can be difficult at first, but you should get a decent idea of what works for you after a few tries.

How do you change your difficulty in Helldivers 2?

The difficulty slider in Helldivers 2.
How far do you dare to slide it? Screenshot by Dot Esports

To change your difficulty in Helldivers 2, go to your Ship and find the Galactic War table. Interact with the table, and you’ll find the difficulty setting slider at the bottom of your screen. Use this slider to adjust your Helldivers 2 difficulty.

What are the benefits of higher difficulty levels in Helldivers 2?

The biggest benefit you’ll get by playing Helldivers 2 on a more difficult level is the extra Medals you’ll receive upon completing a mission. When you complete missions at a higher difficulty, you’ll receive more Medals for your efforts.

Additionally, you’ll be battling more enemies, which will be tougher to take down due to their increased tankiness. Overall, a higher difficulty really puts your Helldivers 2 skills and game knowledge to the test. In public games, you can find players messing up the aggro, you may want to stick with your squad while trying to farm the most challenging difficulty levels in Helldivers 2.

While getting used to the higher difficulty tiers in Helldivers 2, your gear will need to keep up with you as well. Evaluate all armor options and our weapon tier list to give yourself a statistical upper hand in battles.

Author
Image of Gökhan Çakır
Gökhan Çakır
Gökhan is a Staff Writer and Fortnite Lead at Dot Esports. Gökhan graduated as an industrial engineer in 2020 and has since been with Dot Esports. As a natural-born gamer, he honed his skills to a professional level in Dota 2. Upon giving up on the Aegis of Champions in 2019, Gökhan started his writing career, covering all things gaming, while his heart remains a lifetime defender of the Ancients.