Helldivers 2: All difficulty settings & how to unlock them

Helldivers 2 features multiple difficulty settings you can unlock that will increase how challenging your experience is in the co-op shooter.

Arrowhead Game Studio’s Helldivers 2 is packed full of content for players to dig into as they fight for freedom solo or with friends. From different kinds of missions to embark on to unique hostile enemies to defeat there are obstacles to overcome around every corner.

There are also plenty of available difficulty options so you can take things easy, or ramp up the challenge as you see fit. Here’s how you can unlock all the difficulties, and change the one you’re playing on.

Helldivers 2 difficulty settings

There are 10 difficulty settings in Helldivers 2. These are:

• Trivial
• Easy
• Medium
• Challenging
• Hard
• Extreme
• Suicide Mission
• Impossible
• Helldive
• Super Helldive

The higher the difficulty in Helldivers 2, the better rewards you’ll earn but you’ll also have to defeat stronger enemies and there’ll be more enemy outposts to conquer.

If you’re looking for a more relaxing experience you can stick to the easier options but for those who want to push themselves climbing through the higher difficulties is the way to go.

The game initially launched with 9 difficulties but the Super Helldive option was added as part of the Escalation of Freedom update on August 6, 2024. This is the most relentless difficulty in the game so far and will be ideal for anyone looking for an extremely intense challenge.

How to unlock more difficulties

Trivial will be the only available difficulty when you first boot up Helldivers 2 but you can unlock more by completing missions on various difficulties:

• Trivial – available immediately
• Easy – Complete a mission on Trivial
• Medium – Complete a mission on Easy
• Challenging – Complete a mission on Medium
• Hard – Complete a mission on Challenging
• Extreme – Complete a mission on Hard
• Suicide Mission – Complete a mission on Extreme
• Impossible – Complete a mission on Suicide Mission
• Helldive – Complete a mission on Impossible
• Super Helldive – Complete a mission on Helldive

How to change difficulty

To change the difficulty in Helldivers 2, simply follow the steps below:

1. Access the Galatic War screen from your ship by pressing L1 or R1 on PlayStation, or the Q or E key on PC.
2. Once in the menu, you can view all the difficulty options at the bottom of the screen.
3. Navigate through the available options and select the one you want.

It’s also important to keep in mind that the difficulty cannot be changed after a mission has started.

That’s everything you need to know about difficulty in Helldivers 2. For more on the game, check out the best armor to use, our Stratagem tier list, the best solo build, and how to get medals fast.