Helldivers 2's explosive Orbital Napalm Barrage stratagem is a hit, and players are already dreading the moment it's taken from them

Helldivers 2 Democratic Detonation Warbond diving
(Image credit: Sony)

Helldivers 2 players everywhere are in agreement – the Orbital Napalm Barrage stratagem isn't just a ton of fun, it's ridiculously good. Unfortunately, that's also making saying goodbye to it rather difficult. 

A few days ago, loyal Helldivers had the opportunity to unlock the high-power stratagem that's got Terminids everywhere quaking in their bug boots permanently. Sadly though, we failed the Major Order that would have done so, but the kind Super Earth citizens running Helldivers 2's Ministry of Defence clearly took pity on us, because the stratagem is still available for a limited time. 

"While the supplies recovered by the Helldivers in execution of the recent Major Order were insufficient to permanently deploy Orbital Napalm Barrages fleetwide, the Ministry of Defence was able to produce a limited supply of the Stratagem, thanks to the Helldivers' efforts," an in-game message reads. "In recognition of their continued unquestioning sacrifice, the Orbital Napalm Barrage has been made temporarily available to all Helldivers."

Helldivers have certainly been making the most of their new toy, because the third-person shooter's subreddit is packed with people praising it. "One of the best Stratagems in my opinion," one player writes. "Stratagems like this encapsulate the essence that makes Helldivers 2 such a unique experience, discourse aside, it's a unique and palpable experience. Stratagems like this just ooze that vibe we all love."

"It's super cinematic," another adds. "I've occasionally used the Eagle Napalm strat and was expecting it to be something like that, but it was wayyyy better than expected. I let out a startled laugh when the first explosion blossomed." 

All good things must come to an end though, and Orbital Napalm Barrage enjoyers are already dreading the moment it's gone. The subreddit is currently populated with Batman 'don't leave me' and Toy Story 'so long partner' memes as players prepare themselves for that moment. 

(low effort) Everyone in 15 hours from r/Helldivers

Hopefully, it won't be too long before the stratagem makes a return. The ongoing Major Order to defend Gatria, Phact Bay, and Gar Haren is set to end in around eight hours, so after that, we'll just have to wait and see what other opportunities will pop up for us to try and unlock it again. As we've seen before with the comically avoided Anti-Tank Mines, Arrowhead definitely provides enough chances to try again with these things, even if the unlock requirements are failed multiple times, which is sure to be a relief in this case.

Helldivers 2 devs outline the first patch of their 60-day action plan, committing to sweeping armor overhauls and major nerfs to both Bugs and Bots.

Catherine Lewis
News Writer

I'm one of GamesRadar+'s news writers, who works alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.