Helldivers II: How to Unlock New Weapons (and Other Perks)

Being that Helldivers II is a nail-biting squad shooter with a lot for players to learn, it’s possible that you’re finding yourself a bit intimidated by the game. This will especially be the case if you haven’t played the first game and are just starting with the second one. Luckily, we’re here to take you through the basics of the game, one entry at a time.

For starters, why don’t we jump into how you’re going to get some new weapons outside of your standard load out of an assault rifle, a pistol, and some grenades?

How Do You Unlock New Weapons in Helldivers II?

Regardless of what platform you’re playing on (Helldivers II is available on PS5 and PC at the moment), you’ll notice that there’s a menu tacked to the top of the screen when you’re back on your transport and support ship. This is what you’re going to need to interact with in order to gain new weapons and other perks, such as cosmetics and player card changes.

The only caveat is that you’re going to need to collect medals so that you can use the system in the first place. This is because the Battle Pass for Helldivers II is a bit different than what you might be used to. Rather than automatically unlocking new levels as you play the game, this space-faring sequel tasks you with collecting medals and using them to unlock new equipment.

How Do You Get Medals in Helldivers II?

So, how can you get your grubby mitts on some of those medals? Well, you’ll be happy to know that a lot of the time, you’ll just be earning them without trying. This is because any mission that you complete will grant you a medal or two just for showing up.

You can also earn them by completing Personal Orders. These are daily missions that you are tasked with completing, such as “kill ___ enemy with ___ weapon” and the like. Finally, if you tend to explore the map a lot while playing (this is easiest to do in a solo game), you’ll find that you can pick them up in certain optional areas called “points of interest” that can be found all over the place.

There is a system to it all, though, so you can’t just start scooping up whatever you want. Each grouping of War Bonds (the unlockable system for Helldivers II) is tiered off. This means that you must purchase a certain amount of new weapons, helmets, capes, and other perks from each level before moving on to the next level.

With that caveat out of the way, that’s all that there is to it. Now you can move on from your basic loadout and start to change up your character’s look without having to spend real-life money to get credits.