What should I do first?

Start on Trivial or Easy and get your stratagem inputs and movement basics down. Farm samples to unlock new stratagems, build a reliable loadout, and then climb difficulties one tier at a time. Each tier introduces new enemy units — pace yourself and learn them.

Any tips for stratagem inputs?

Stratagems are summoned via directional input combos. Frequent ones become muscle memory, but new ones should be deployed somewhere safe — not under fire. While you input, your squad ideally covers the angles around you.

How do I avoid friendly fire?

Call out before dropping explosives — "throwing!" — and confirm teammate positions first. Orbital and Eagle stratagems have huge AoE, so wait until everyone is clear. Slowing down by half a second before throwing prevents most accidents.

Which early gear should I unlock?

Reliable early picks include the GR-8 Recoilless Rifle (Lv5, anti-armor), the HMG Emplacement (Lv10, defense), and the Eagle Strafing Run (early, AoE). Versatile and useful from start to endgame.

Helldivers 2 Beginner Guide｜Controls, Stratagem Input, and the First 3 Hours

The Early-Game Loop

1

Learn the controls on the lowest difficulty

Use Trivial or Easy to internalize movement, shooting, and stratagem inputs.
2

Farm samples

Pick up samples during missions to unlock new stratagems and gear.
3

Climb difficulties one tier at a time

Each tier introduces new enemies — climb steadily so you learn them as you go.
4

Split roles across the squad

Cover anti-armor, crowd control, defense, and support across four players — no duplicates.

Stratagems are summoned via directional combos. Common ones become muscle memory fast, but practice new inputs somewhere safe — fumbling under fire wastes precious cooldowns.

Early Loadout Picks

Item	Role	Unlock Level
GR-8 Recoilless Rifle	Anti-armor and general purpose	Lv5
HMG Emplacement	Defense and mid-armor wave clearing	Lv10
Eagle Strafing Run	AoE and crowd control	Early
Orbital Precision Strike	Pinpoint single-target	Early to mid

Friendly fire is part of the game and it happens. Call out before throwing explosives, check teammate positions before deploying AoE, and pick lower-yield options while you're still learning the radius rules.

What's Next

Once movement feels natural, learn the gear and faction matchups. Stratagem selection is in the Stratagem Guide, and the three enemy factions' weaknesses are covered in the Faction Guide. For the overall verdict, see our Honest Review.

★Honest Take: Past the First Few Missions, It Clicks

Honestly, your first few missions will be messy. You'll fumble stratagem inputs, accidentally bomb teammates, and feel lost. That's the experience. A few hours in, the directional combos become a reflex, callouts feel natural, and the co-op chaos becomes the best part of the game. Relax, stay on low difficulty, and enjoy the ride.