In Helldivers 2, several planets are peacefully prospering under Super Earth rule. However, many are also, unfortunately, under enemy control, and it's your job to liberate them from the slimy talons and metal fingers of tyranny. Naturally, planets overrun with Terminids and Automatons will need to be freed before they can properly celebrate the political beauty of Managed Democracy.
But with so many moving parts in the Sol System, figuring out the inner workings of High Council-enforced freedom can be lost in the celestial hubbub of the Galactic War. So, in this guide, we'll cover how liberation works in Helldivers 2 to make your interstellar romp slightly easier.
What is Liberation in Helldivers 2?
Liberation, or better yet liberation percentage, indicates how close a planet is to being freed from either Terminids or Automatons. This number can rise or fall depending on how well Helldivers' mission efforts are going. The main goal, of course, is to help a planet reach a 100% liberation percentage. Once a planet reaches 100%, it will be liberated, and you will no longer be able to drop into it since the enemies that were previously running rampant have been eliminated.
You can help increase a planet's liberation percentage by participating in and fully completing operations. If you fail, it will count against the liberation percentage. Of course, this makes freeing a planet take longer and has even caused Major Order failures in the past.
How to Check Liberation Percentage in Helldivers 2?
You can check the liberation percentage by opening the War Table, selecting a specific sector, and hovering over a planet. As soon as you hover over one, a pop-up window will appear displaying a few key details. This includes how close a planet is to being liberated, how many of your friends are fighting for Managed Democracy on it, and how many other players are helping in the battle for freedom.
What Happens When You Liberate a Planet in Helldivers 2?
Once you liberate a planet, you can no longer drop into it since it's been freed of its former captors. But this doesn't mean you should rest on your laurels. Both the Automatons and Terminids will try their best to take back control of their former territory, and you, as a Helldiver, will then be called on to take part in a defense campaign.
Each defense campaign typically lasts for a day. Afterward, Helldiver efforts, or lack thereof, will determine whether a planet stays liberated or falls under the enemies' clutches once again. If it's successfully defended, it will remain liberated until the enemy launches an attack again. If the defense campaign fails, Helldivers will need to liberate it once again, and the never-ending Galactic War cycle continues.
Why Does Liberation Percentage Go Down in Helldivers 2?
As mentioned above, a planet's liberation percentage goes down if you fail your operations. An operation can have multiple missions depending on the difficulty you're playing on. This means you need to complete each one in order for it to fully count towards the campaign.
It's also worth noting that neither the Automatons nor the Terminids, unlike us Helldivers, need sleep. So once the player count dwindles (typically overnight in the US since that's where most players are), enemy hordes are practically given free rein to wreak havoc without much resistance. The bugs and bots always have their own offensives, as well, usually draining 1-2% of progress per hour. Per Helldivers.io, Automatons can also apparently drop giant nukes to suddenly diminish liberation progress by another 1-2%, making it even more difficult when in a prolonged siege.
In addition, if a planet has been in a stalemate long enough, the High Council may temporarily restrict access to it to help war efforts in other areas. So, it becomes even more important to complete a liberation campaign as quickly as possible because once access to a planet is restricted, liberation progress will inevitably decrease.
