Summary
Everything is out to get you inHelldivers 2, whether it be a massive bug, a terrifying robot, or an errant piece of rubble blown off the side of a building. It’s a game where there are very few allies to be made outside your fellow Helldivers on the field, but theever-reliable and beloved Eagle-1is about as close to a friend as you can get. Unfortunately, she’s just as capable of killing you as well, especially if you enter her domain.
Eagle-1 has undoubtedly killed her fair share of Helldivers thanks to an ill-placed Stratagem, but one player recently discovered that she’ll just as easily swat you out of the sky if you somehow find yourself 200 feet in the air when she passes by. On the Helldivers 2 subreddit,a user called Slowenbruadecided to run an experiment in the name of science and get themselves smacked by Eagle-1 to see what happens.
Using a movement glitch that Slowenbrua demonstratesin a separate Reddit post, they manage to get themselves to the perfect height to take the full impact of Eagle-1’s aircraft. Slowenbrua then calls in an Eagle Airstrike directly below them, and Eagle-1 comes flying in to deliver the payload, smacking into Slowenbrua and sending them flying back down to the planet in a crumpled heap.
Eagle-1’s Pilot Might Not Be Real After All
While it sounds obvious that standing in front of a jet fighter moving at full speed would kill you, it’s rather surprising that developer Arrowhead has gone out of its way to give Eagle-1 an actual hitbox, considering players are never actually meant to get that high in the first place. I’d say it’s a great bit of attention to detail from Arrowhead, but a closer inspection of the craft’s cockpit reveals some corners have been cut.
As many users point out in the thread, it’s possible this hitbox could have been made so it’s possible for Eagle-1 to be shot down by enemy anti-air weapons.
Another user called GohstfaceKila captured a screenshot of Eagle-1 shortly before she smacks into Slowenbrua, revealing that there’s actually no one sitting in the seat of the craft itself. You could say that this is simply Arrowhead deciding there’s no need to actually put anyone in there since you’re not meant to see the craft in so much detail, but I personally like the theory that she’s actually been an AI pilot this entire time.
In any case, Arrowhead probably has more pressing concerns right now than putting a person in the cockpit of Eagle-1, as the game recentlydropped back down to Mostly Negative on Steamafter themuch-despised Escalation of Freedom update. With player numbers dwindling, andthe upcoming release of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 on the horizon, some fear that Arrowhead may lose the majority of its player base before it can turn things around again.
WHERE TO PLAY
Do you believe in freedom? Can you stand in the face of oppression – and defend the defenceless? Wage war for peace. Die for democracy.
Join forces with up to three friends and wreak havoc on an alien scourge threatening the safety of your home planet, Super Earth, in this multiplayer co-op shooter for PS5 and PC from Arrowhead Game Studios.
Step into the boots of the Helldivers, an elite class of soldiers whose mission is to spread peace, liberty and Managed Democracy using the biggest, baddest and most explosive tools in the galaxy.
Helldivers don’t go planet side without proper backup, but it’s up to you to decide how and when to call it in. Not only do you have a host of superpowered primary weapons and customizable loadouts, you also have the ability to call on stratagems during play.
Helldivers 2 features Arrowhead’s best cooperative gameplay yet. Collaboration will be vital: Teams will synergize on loadouts, strategize their approach for each mission and complete objectives together.1
Enlist in Super Earth’s premier military peacekeeping force today. We are heroes… we are legends… WE ARE HELLDIVERS.
