The holidays are underway in Helldivers 2 with the surprise launch of the Festival of Reckoning. Players can dive into the event today and test out some free stratagems from Premium Warbonds.
Helldivers 2: Festival of Reckoning details
According to Sony, the Festival of Reckoning kicks off today, December 18, around the globe and will run until December 31. This year the winter celebration is bigger and better, with an extended run time and more activities for players to enjoy over their holiday breaks.
One of the major highlights of this event is the inclusion of experimental stratagems. These Reckoning Gifts combine existing technology in new and unique ways to create chaotic and powerful opportunities. The three experimental technologies featured in the trailer are:
120MM EMS Projectile with Stun: Standard 120mm barrage shells modified to include electromagnetic pulse effects that stun everything in the blast radius.
Gatling Barrage Fire Projectiles: Gatling barrage ammunition swapped for incendiary rounds that coat target zones in flames instead of just perforating bots and bugs.
Walking Barrage with Smoke: Adds smoke coverage to suppress enemy vision while explosives rain down. Doubles as chaos and crowd control.
How to gain Limited-Time Access to special stratagems
Throughout the event, players can get into the spirit with holiday Major Orders that grant them limited-time access to a host of stratagems. The reveal confirmed that no stratagem is off-limits, either. This means that the game will be letting players try out some stratagems from Premium Warbonds.
During the festival, players will see in-game dispatches go out to let them know which celebratory Major Order is active, and which mandatory celebration stratagems are available for temporary festive use. Keep in mind that accessing the experimental stratagems and earning the extra medals will be tied to participating in the Major Order. Be sure to keep an eye on your map and track down the celebration activities to participate.
Completing the order will reward all participating players with 100 medals. This is a generous increase from the usual reward increments, so players may want to check their total beforehand and make sure they aren’t approaching the cap.
What is a stratagem?
Gamers who might be new to Helldivers 2 and looking to try it out during the holiday could be confused by some of the terminology. Stratagems are a key tool and mechanic in the game that allows players to call down help from above.
Stratagems are support abilities that players can call down from an orbiting ship to help turn the tides of a battle. Stratagems are unlocked in the game after players have reached certain level milestones and spent the needed in-game currency to purchase them. During the Festival of Reckoning event, players are all granted a special fifth slot for the limited-time experimental technologies.
Helldivers 2 players can take part in the holiday activities right now!
The post Helldivers 2: How to Access Experimental Stratagems for Free During the Festival of Reckoning appeared first on VICE.
