Helldivers 2's big Escalation of Freedom update finally fixes broken social menus after months of players asking, adds a new "eerie and foggy" swamp planet to die on

The Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom update introduces a brand new swamp-based planet and a social menu fix that players have been requesting for months.

The huge new Helldivers 2 update is already primed to shake up the third-person shooter in some big ways that we weren't prepared for. Take, for example, the new swamp-based planet, which is dubbed as an even more "eerie and foggy version" of any swamp planets we've previously seen in Helldivers 2.

Coincidentally, Escalation of Freedom also boasts a charming new planetary hazard: Acid Storms. This feature lowers armor ratings for both players and enemies, which is both a blessing and a curse. I'd be interested to see whether this new planetary hazard is directly linked to the new swampy planets, or whether it's a galaxy-wide threat.

For months now, Helldivers 2 players have been constantly asking Arrowhead to overhaul the in-game social menu. The trouble is that the social menu was wildly inconsistent and wouldn't always let players join their friends in the game, but now Arrowhead has "resolved some issues related to inconsistent social menu options" and has "improved reliability of social menu options."

Additionally, Arrowhead has resolved issues regarding friend codes not generating properly, and players should now find it easier to send, accept, and decline friend requests. "We have fixed several issues and still have things to improve but know that we are aware and working tirelessly on this, we thank you for your patience and understanding," Arrowhead writes.

Elsewhere, the Escalation of Freedom update adds the new Automaton's human processing plants, a new type of optional objective that sounds nothing short of nightmare-inducing. 

Take a look at our Helldivers 2 Impalers guide for a walkthrough on how to take down the new foes.