Helldivers 2 players lost the latest liberation rate boost because there was no yellow paint

Helldivers 2 High Command provides its soldiers with much-needed frontline help from time to time. In the latest major order, this came in the form of a nice liberation rate boost that made freeing planets easier, as long as players kept a specific planet under Super Earth control: Vernen Wells. Unfortunately, the lack of a clear indicator, like, say, the yellow paint in modern Resident Evil games, made most people oblivious to its importance, hence the subsequent perk loss.

Of course, this isn’t the only factor that led to Vernen Wells being overrun. Some players also blame mission selection for its loss. But since most players tend to skip the fine print in major orders, more were simply unaware of the need to defend it, which naturally prompted several fans on the Helldivers subreddit to ask the game’s devs for clearer indicators that signify the importance of each planet. This is where the proverbial yellow paint would come in supremely handy.

For those unfamiliar, Capcom essentially uses yellow paint in its horror franchise as a big, glowing neon sign that says, “This item is interactable.” Though its use generated plenty of discourse in the past, there’s no denying its usefulness in video games, especially since most of the environment tends to be overshadowed by the combat and story. And in a fast-moving shooter like Helldivers 2, these small elements would benefit tremendously from an obvious, though not necessarily similar, signal.

In the grand scheme of things, this latest loss will probably be a blip in the interplanetary battle for Managed Democracy. But to avoid another crucial loss like this, there undoubtedly needs to be a significant change that clearly shows players the importance of each planet based on the current collective mission. Otherwise, more areas may fall under the slimy claws and unfeeling hands of the Terminids and Automatons.