Arrowhead surprise-launched the Magma Worlds update for Helldivers 2 on December 4, delivering six new mission types for Super Earth’s finest to tackle. No fanfare, no countdown timers, just lava planets and angry bots mining resources that, canonically, belong to children who haven’t been born yet.
This time, the spotlight is finally on the Automaton front. You’re looking at one 12-minute Blitz mission, one 15-minute high-intensity collection mission, and four 40-minute operations that’ll test whether your squad actually communicates or just exists in the same lobby silently.
Below is a full breakdown of all six new mission objectives, including tips, strategies, and best practices for each.
1. Blitz: Destroy Bio-Processors
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Bio-processors often show up as optional side tasks during Automaton Operations, but this time, they’re the entire reason you’re planetside. You’ve got 12 minutes to locate and destroy each of these grotesque structures, which means no time for sightseeing, base clearing, or taking the scenic route.
Mission Steps:
Split up immediately once boots hit the ground. Each player should sweep a different section of the map to locate targets.
Bio-processors have 4,000 HP and no armor. Thermites, Orbital Precision Strikes, and Eagle 500kg Bombs will wipe them out without much effort.
Ignore most patrols unless they’re directly in your path. Every second spent fighting is time not blowing up processors.
Plan to extract with at least 2 minutes left on the timer. Pelican-1 takes time to arrive, and things can go sideways fast.
Call out processor targets to your team using the map. You don’t want two players wasting time heading to the same location.
Remember that you’re not here to clear every enemy or secure the whole map. The goal is simple: find the processors, blow them sky-high, and sprint to extraction before the clock does it for you.
2. Rapid Acquisition
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This mission tasks you with retrieving 30 platinum bars scattered between two spawn zones on a tight, open map. You’ve got 15 minutes to haul everything to a single cargo container while dodging relentless Automaton fire. The catch? The terrain has almost no cover.
Recommended Strategy:
Drop your cargo container immediately in the most defensible spot you can find between the two platinum spawn locations.
Scout both platinum spawn points before touching any bars. Knowing where all 30 are located prevents wasted trips.
Split into two carriers and two defenders. Carriers focus on grabbing and hauling bars. Defenders keep the heat off.
Set up sentries near the container before collection starts. Autocannons and Gatling guns will make up for the lack of natural cover.
Rotate carrier roles often. Walking slowly and defenseless through open ground can become mentally exhausting, after all.
The lack of cover is what makes this mission brutal. Automatons excel at ranged combat, and you’re stuck on exposed ground with nowhere to duck behind. Heavy armor is highly recommended!
3. Confiscate Assets
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This mission sends you to four separate locations to steal resources that the bots have already mined. Two sites have high-grade platinum using the same carry mechanics as Rapid Acquisition, and two sites have fusion batteries that dispense from machines.
Mission Steps:
Open the map early and identify all four objective points. You’ll need a clean route that minimizes lava crossings.
Call down a new cargo container at each site using your mission stratagem.
Platinum sites use the same mechanics as Rapid Acquisition but on a smaller scale. Expect fewer bars but similar carry speed.
For battery sites, press the button on the dispensing machine to get each fusion battery out. Then carry it to your container.
Make sure to clear each site’s perimeter completely before starting asset collection.
With a 40-minute timer and decentralized layout, this mission gives more breathing room than Rapid Acquisition. It’s still high-stakes, but there’s time to approach each site tactically.
4. Seize Industrial Complex
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Taking over an Automaton industrial facility means completing two different objective types. You’ve got quarries to “annex” by raising the glorious flag of Super Earth at each site, plus a refinery to “appropriate” through a multi-step terminal process.
Mission Steps:
Start with the refinery. It takes longer and triggers heavier resistance.
Call down the SSSD hardware and insert the hard drive into the designated port.
Activate the terminal to begin the refinery takeover sequence.
Flip switches for the smelting, crushing, and purification systems using the same terminal.
Defend the site while the facility transitions to your control.
Complete the terminal process once all systems are green.
After the refinery is yours, move to the quarry annexation objectives. These work exactly like the “Spread Democracy” flag-raising mission: find points, raise flags, and defend briefly while staying within range.
We recommend tackling the “Annex Quarry” part second because it’s relatively mild by comparison and gives you a lower-intensity finish to an otherwise chaotic operation.
5. Annex Untapped Mineral Sites
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This mission sends you on a two-phase job: gather coordinates from across the map, then drill into mineral sites and protect the equipment while it runs.
Mission Steps:
Phase one starts with hard drive retrieval. Head to marked zones and look for drives on the ground. Each one holds coordinate data tied to a drilling site.
Split your squad to cover ground quickly. You’ll usually need two or more data points to unlock the final phase, so time spent doubling back adds up.
Once you’ve collected all required data, move to the designated drill sites and activate the terminals to start extraction.
Defend each drill across multiple stages. As is the case with such objectives, the timers are fixed and won’t accelerate—no matter how efficiently you clear waves.
Prioritize keeping the drill equipment intact. Enemy units can and will make a beeline for it.
The first half can feel repetitive, but strong communication and route planning are key. The second half turns into a siege, so make sure your squad regroups and establishes solid defenses before the timers kick in.
6. Sabotage Orgo-Plasma Synthesis
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This one’s easily the most unsettling of the bunch. You’re tasked with dismantling Automaton facilities that process organic material into plasma, followed by an extraction sequence that feels more like cleanup after something horrific.
Mission Steps:
Locate and destroy all bio-processors on the map. These work identically to the Blitz mission targets with 4,000 HP and zero armor.
Use explosive stratagems for quick bio-processor destruction. Orbital strikes and 500kg bombs remain the most efficient tools for the job.
Once cleared, head to the plasma extraction site. A terminal there begins the second half of the mission.
Initiate the sample collection process. Pelican-1 will make multiple passes through an attached tube system to recover the plasma.
Defend the site during each transfer. Enemy bots swarm the location during collection windows, and damage to the tubes can disrupt the process.
Extract with your squad once all samples are recovered.
Without the urgency of a Blitz-style timer, this mission lets your squad operate with more breathing room. You can fully clear areas, reposition safely, and take time to coordinate defensive stratagems. Just don’t linger too long wondering what exactly went into those plasma tanks.
Which mission are you tackling first, and has your team cracked the code on surviving Rapid Acquisition without cover? Drop your strategies in the comments below.
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