As if the fight against Terminids and Automatons wasn’t perilous enough on its own, a new adversary has appeared in Helldivers 2 as of Patch 01.000.100: new extreme weather effects known as Planetary Hazards.
On certain planets, players will face off against new “environmental challenges” that appear randomly and threaten to slow down or disrupt the mission. You’ll need to coordinate with your Helldivers 2 teammates to call out these hazards when you see them.
All Helldivers 2 possible Planetary Hazards
Players can see which hazards are active under the Effects tab when looking at the planet’s surface. Planetary Hazards are listed under Environmental Conditions.
Tremors
When the Tremors effect is active, both players and enemies will be shaken and stunned by frequent earthquakes. When these Tremors happen, a Tremors Active banner will appear on your HUD, and you and your allies, as well as nearby enemies, will be temporarily slowed. There doesn’t appear to be any way to avoid Tremors when they activate.
Meteor Storms
When Meteor Storms are active, meteor showers are randomly summoned, pelting players and enemies with falling rocks. Players who are struck by meteors are knocked down and take damage. The only way to avoid being hit is to use large rock structures as cover. Meteor Storms each last for roughly 30 to 45 seconds.
Rainstorms
Active Rainstorms dramatically reduce visibility, but unlike Tremors and Meteor Storms, which occur in small bursts, Rainstorms persist throughout the entirety of a mission. While your visibility is dramatically reduced, the storms do not appear to have any negative effect on flammable weapons like the incendiary Breaker, which is a good thing for bug hunting missions.
Blizzards
Blizzards, as the name suggests, operate like Rainstorms in that they reduce visibility. Players will also move a bit slower while going through the snow.
Ion Storms
Ion Storms will frequently appear and disrupt your ability to call in Strategems.
Volcanic Activity
Volcanic Activity is similar to Meteor Storms, but instead of space rocks falling on your heads, it’s flaming rocks. Getting hit by Volcanic Activity means getting knocked down, damaged, and set on fire, but at least the volcanic showers don’t seem to last as long as Meteor Storms.
“Fire Tornadoes”
Fire Tornadoes are noted in the recent Helldivers 2 patch notes, but at time of writing, there are no Fire Tornadoes active on any currently contested planet. It’s assumed they’ll manifest as a fiery twister that will cut across the landscape and light any player or enemy they touch on fire.
