The Automatons in Helldivers 2 have just gotten a massive upgrade, as players have reported new units entering the battlefield. Just how bad could it be? Imagine a Star Wars AT-AT if it were swole, heavily armored, and had enough firepower to demolish a moon. As if that wasn't bad enough, these Factory Strider units also have their own facilities for producing Automaton Devastators on demand, and they reportedly have no easy-to-spot weaknesses.

While those mobile fortresses make for an intimidating foe, the new gunships are easily a more annoying menace. These are well-armed weapons platforms that carry a Devastator with them, dropping these heavy units to harass you while unloading missiles and lasers in your general direction. Automaton factories can also produce several of these gunships, and they have a habit of swarming players whenever they're encountered. While they can be taken down with a Quasar Cannon, the long cooldown on that weapon will require several members of your Helldivers team to be fielding this new technology if you want to stand a chance at surviving their onslaught.

Developer Arrowhead hinting at an Automaton resurgence this week with cloaked capital ships in the skies. Players began to report seeing these flagships lurking in low orbit around planets controlled by the mechanical menace, and with this week's patch, it looks like those reinforcements have landed. Following a huge win on Malevelon Creek--described by some as the Vietnam of Helldivers 2--Arrowhead didn't even give its players a chance to catch their breath before it unleashed new technological terrors.