New Helldivers 2 Warbond coming next week, and it's got a grenade pistol, explosive crossbow, and a Booster for shorter Extraction times

Helldivers 2 Warbond
(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)

A new premium Helldivers 2 Warbond appropriately called Democratic Detonation is coming Thursday, April 11, and it's got everyone's new favorite Booster.

A trailer for the next Warbond arrived right on schedule earlier today, and a breakdown on the PlayStation Blog has the details on what's coming. The standout in my eye is the "Expert Extraction Pilot Booster," which "lowers the time it takes for the extraction shuttle to reach the extraction beacon." Tired of getting overrun while the shuttle pilot takes their sweet time? Light a fire under them with this Booster. I'm willing to bet this becomes a squad staple going forward. 

Naturally, there are tons of new weapons too, most of them explosive. The BR-14 Adjudicator Rifle packs armor penetration, the R-36 Eruptor Rifle fires explosive shrapnel, the G-123 Thermite Grenade "can stick to surfaces before burning up to a toasty 2000°C," and I don't think the CB-9 Exploding Crossbow or GP-31 Grenade Pistol need much explanation. 

We're getting three new armor sets, too, this time with one for every flavor. There's light armor for demolition specialists who value "personal velocity," medium armor for the Goldilocks approach, and a set of heavy armor that will "allow colonial farmers to safely plant crops and mines side-by-side while staying in one piece." 

Expect the usual suite of cosmetics like cloaks, emblems, and emotes mixed in as well. Personally, I'm eyeing that Booster, the Thermite grenade – shown sticking a Charger in the trailer – as well as the Exploding Crossbow, not just because it's an exploding crossbow, but also because it apparently incorporates realistic bolt drop since "gravity must be accounted for when aiming." I'm a sucker for video game archery of all forms and would love to try a crossbow in the Helldivers 2 weapon sandbox. 

For a refresher and a comparison, here's everything in the Steeled Veterans Warbond in Helldivers 2.  

Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

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