Helldivers 2 difficulty levels: Full list and differences explained

While starting out in Helldivers 2 may be fairly easy, the later difficulties can prove much harder to complete as new enemies start to spawn, especially if you're trying to play solo.

Here's the full breakdown of Helldivers 2 difficulty levels, all the way from Trivial to Helldive.

What are the Helldivers 2 difficulty levels? Full list and how to unlock

There are nine different Helldivers 2 difficulties, which are the following:

• Trivial - 1
• Easy - 2
• Medium - 3
• Challenging - 4
• Hard - 5
• Extreme - 6
• Suicide Mission - 7
• Impossible - 8
• Helldive - 9

Players must start on Trivial. So even if you consider yourself a seasoned gamer, you can't jump straight into Challenging – or even Medium – at the very beginning.

Trivial might be a bit boring, but you need to complete an operation at this level to unlock Easy. From there, you work your way up, unlocking the next difficulty level every time you beat your current one.

What’s the difference between the Helldivers 2 difficulty levels?

As you'd expect, the game gets more challenging with each successive difficulty. As you work your way up the difficulty levels, the number of objectives grows, enemies increase in number, and new enemy types appear.

Impossible or Helldive difficulties feel like a different game to Trivial.

It's not like you don't get rewarded, though. Plenty of Medals and Super Samples are on offer if you're up for the challenge of the top difficulties. Here's the full breakdown:

Trivial - 1

• Mission and Enemies: Primary Objectives, Enemy Patrols
• Rewards: Common Samples, 1 Medal

Easy - 2

• Mission and Enemies: Allied Tactical Objectives, Light Outposts
• Rewards: Common Samples, 2 Medals

Medium - 3

• Mission and Enemies: Allied Tactical Objectives, Light Outposts
• Rewards: Common Samples, 6 Medals (for full completion)
• XP Multiplier: +25 per cent

Challenging - 4

• Mission and Enemies: Enemy Tactical Objectives, Heavy Outposts, Heavily Armoured Enemies
• Rewards: Common Samples, Rare Samples, 8 Medals (for full completion)
• XP Multiplier: +50 per cent

Hard - 5

• Mission and Enemies: Operation Modifiers, Massive Enemies, Heavily Armoured Enemies
• Rewards: Common Samples, Rare Samples, 18 Medals (for full completion)
• XP Multiplier: +75 per cent

Extreme - 6

• Mission and Enemies: Tactical Objectives Increase, Massive Enemies, Heavily Armoured Enemies
• Rewards: Common Samples, Rare Samples, Super Samples, 21 Medals (for full completion)
• XP Multiplier: +100 per cent

Suicide Mission - 7

• Mission and Enemies: Tactical Objectives Increase, Massive Enemies, Heavily Armoured Enemies
• Rewards: Common Samples, Rare Samples, Super Samples, 24 Medals (for full completion)
• XP Multiplier: +150 per cent

Impossible - 8

• Mission and Enemies: Increased Enemy Presence, Multiple Operation Modifiers, Heavily Armoured Enemies
• Rewards: Common Samples, Rare Samples, Super Samples, 29 Medals (for full completion)
• XP Multiplier: +200 per cent

Helldive - 9

• Mission and Enemies: Increased Enemy Presence, Multiple Operation Modifiers, Heavily Armoured Enemies
• Rewards: Common Samples, Rare Samples, Super Samples, 33 Medals (for full completion)
• XP Multiplier: +250 per cent

Keep in mind that if you're trying to farm Samples quickly, the number of Samples available per mission scales up with difficulty, too.

How to change between Helldivers 2 difficulty levels

Once you've unlocked difficulties other than Trivial, you can change the difficulty by heading to the Galactic War Screen.

Here you can change the difficulty by pressing L1 and R1 on the PlayStation, or Q and E on the PC.

Read more on Helldivers 2: Helldivers 2 player count | Helldivers 2 server status | Helldivers 2 mechs | Helldivers 2 stratagems | Helldivers 2 trophies | Helldivers 2 crossplay | Helldivers console exclusivity explained | Is Helldivers 2 on PS4? Alternatives explained | Helldivers 2 roadmap

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