Helldivers 2 adds venomous Noxious Terminids and spreads bug caves to more biomes

Helldivers 2's bug war just got nastier. A new Terminid strain called the Noxious strain is hitting the front lines, and Terminid caves are now spawning beneath more biomes across the galaxy.

The announcement comes in the game's usual Ministry of Truth voice, describing the new bugs as "fast, venomous, and fundamentally opposed to Managed Democracy."

First up is the Noxious Scavenger. It looks like a regular Scavenger until it closes in, and it's noticeably quicker, which makes it hard to track. Every bite poisons you, and it can bite again almost immediately.

The good news is they're fragile. The Ministry recommends weapons that favor volume over precision, like shotguns, flamethrowers and grenades. Its advice: "ammunition is cheaper than antivenom."

The bigger threat is the Noxious Spewer. Forget the slow, crawling Spewers you know. This one is a hulking monster that moves fast, and it's behind the webs now draped over battlefields.

Watch for its Web Spit at medium range. One hit and you lose the ability to sprint, which is a rough place to be when a swarm is closing in.

The caves are the other half of the update. Terminid cave networks now run under more biomes, from scorched deserts to frozen tundras, and the Ministry warns that every planet may have a hive beneath it.

All of this keeps Helldivers 2 rolling as it heads toward its third anniversary in a few months. Rock Paper Shotgun reports that Arrowhead CCO Johan Pilestedt said the game will stay the studio's main priority going forward.