To hear him tell it, veteran character actor Neal McDonough shocked his writing partners when he showed them the initial draft for his latest movie, The Last Rodeo. Where did this come from? his friends would ask. You write about Lee Marvin and tough guys. Those are your heroes! As much as it surprised the folks he knew, The Last Rodeo will feel quite familiar to anyone who knows McDonough from his many supporting roles. With his striking blue eyes and wide smile, McDonough’s become one of the most recognizable “that guys” in Hollywood, especially when he’s playing a tough one, whether that be Dum Dum Dugan in Captain America: The First Avenger or the terrifying criminal Quarles in Justified. On the surface, The Last Rodeo protagonist Joe Wainright falls in line with those guys. Written by McDonough, Derek Presley, and director Jon Avnet, The Last Rodeo follows McDonaugh’s former championship bull rider as he returns to the sport to earn money for his grandson’s surgery. In addition to the rust he’s gathered in his years away from the sport, Joe must also overcome the physical injury that drove him out of bull riding and the mental and emotional scars left by the sudden death of his beloved wife (McDonough’s real-life wife and co-producer, Ruvé McDonough), who succumbed to the same disease that now threatens his grandson. For McDonough this story of a man who will do anything for his family makes Joe stand out from his other more famous characters. And the idea came to him during a lonely moment after a shoot when a horrible but provocative thought popped into his head. “One day, I was driving home from work and I got gut-punched with the thought of what would become of me if something ever happened to Ruvé,” McDonough recalls to us. “I’m on the side of the highway in Arizona and the idea just came into my head, Rocky or Bull Durham for a grandpa who has to go back and save his grandson’s life because he’s dying of the same tumor that killed his wife. I just sat on the side of the road voice-dictating what I thought the script would be and I had the whole film, it just flew out of me.” Always open about his Catholic faith, McDonough’s quick to attribute the idea to divine inspiration (“I’m pretty smart, but I don’t think I’m that clever,” he quips). But he also admits that he made Joe a bull rider because he saw the sport as underrepresented in cinema. “I was looking for ideas because I love athletics. But when you get to a certain age, you can’t be the athlete anymore. You have to be the coach, and I was getting tired of being the coach. So I started asking, ‘Who’s the oldest rookie of the year?’ and ‘what’s an old story?'” McDonough remembers. He found his answer in bull riding, but the 59-year-old actor didn’t get to completely meld fiction and reality, at least when it came to Joe’s feats in the arena. “I wanted to be the guy on the bull all the time,” laughs McDonough. “I think everyone knows what a knucklehead I am when it comes to stunts and the physicality of acting in films. I love it. Being an athlete for so long, it’s just something that I always kind of told myself that I can still do, even at my age. But they would never let me get on an actual bull unless it was for a [single] shot. But let me tell you this, they beat the living tar out of me on those mechanical bulls for months and months, and they’re not easy. The amount of times I got smoked off of that thing and got bashed… riding a bull ain’t easy.” McDonough’s commitment to embodying characters isn’t a surprise to anyone familiar with his work. He puts Joe Wainright alongside Buck Compton from Band of Brothers and Wyatt Kane from Tin Man as his favorites to play precisely because of the depth he brings to them, even when they’re silent. While Joe retains a warmth in his taciturn nature, some of McDonough’s other characters felt menacing in their stillness, such as Dave Williams in Desperate Housewives or Damien Darhk in the CW Arrowverse. But that was a skill McDonough had to learn early on. “You almost need a Dramamine just to watch my early stuff,” he admits. “But then I started to pare it down and be as simple as possible in everything. I was watching what John Wayne would do. People don’t think of John Wayne as one of the greatest actors of all time, but he understood stoicism better than anyone. He’d take that breath before he’d say a line and really think about what he was about to say before saying the line, and then really hammering it out there. Kevin Costner’s great at that, Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, all those guys were great at listening to what’s going on. They’d take a second and say a line, not twenty lines.” As much as he admires those pillars of cinematic masculinity, McDonough also confesses that he initially saw himself as more of a comedian when he first came to Hollywood. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! “When I did Walking Tall, I thought they were bringing me in for the Johnny Knoxville character. I had read the script and was all prepared, and went in thinking I was going to crush this. But they said ‘No, no, no—we want you to play the villain.” Given his love for Wayne and McQueen, it seems odd that McDonough would go out for a part that eventually went to Johnny Knoxville. But McDonough cites another legend as a major influence, one not known for his silence. “William Shatner as Captain Kirk, my favorite captain!” he declares. Shatner’s a fitting model, given that McDonough made his Hollywood feature debut on a Star Trek movie, albeit in Star Trek: First Contact, the first film without Shatner on set. But McDonough doesn’t look back on the experience with sadness, in part because of the way the Next Generation cast supported him as a young actor. “Patrick Stewart became such a paternal figure to me because he knew it was my first big movie,” McDonough recalls. “Jonathan Frakes, who also directed, took it upon himself to bust my nuggets every single day on set. They said, ‘Look, we only have you for a short amount of time. You’re about to die, you’re the red shirt guy. So we’re going to make fun of you all day long.” He adds with a chuckle, “I was sort of like the toy they got to play around with. And you know, I saw Frakes about a year ago and he was like, ‘Gosh, to see what you’ve become ever since then and what you’ve gone through in your personal life to get here is inspirational for all of us.’ Coming from Jonathan Frakes, who’s an incredible talent, that was a great compliment.” McDonough’s work on First Contact also meant that he got to participate in franchise events, some of which involved his hero, William Shatner. The first time he and Shatner were at an event, McDonough admitted that he turned down the chance to meet the legendary actor, worried that the reality wouldn’t live up to the hero in his mind. “Then Shatner came up right behind me and they rolled him up on a wheelchair because he was 90 years old at the time. And he stands up from the wheelchair and gives me a big hug. He tells me, ‘I know exactly who you are and I’ve been following your career and I think you’re terrific.’ And that was just amazing.” Of course since then McDonough’s got the chance to play some heroes himself, including one in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. McDonough has appeared several times as Dum Dum Dugan, a member of the Howling Commandos and an agent of SHIELD. Despite how well-received McDonough’s performances have been, and despite Dugan’s status as a fan favorite in the comics, he hasn’t been a regular in the MCU. “Every time I see Kevin Feige, I say, ‘What’s wrong with you? You’ve got one of the coolest characters and you don’t use him!'” jokes McDonough. “That’s the kind of character for me to play, a lughead from Boston who likes to have fun, but if there’s a fight to be had or someone messes with his family, watch out. I love that about Dum Dum, he’s tough as nails and all-American. C’mon, Kevin! Figure out how to bring Dum Dum back!” Whether or not Dum Dum Dugan will appear in Avengers: Doomsday remains to be seen, but until then, we know where we can find McDonough, playing the strong and silent type, whether that be aboard the USS Enterprise or holding tight to a bucking bull.

Star Wars: Heritage Pack $30 (was $60) See at Amazon See at GameStop If you love Star Wars and own a Nintendo Switch, you'll want to check out Amazon's deal on Star Wars: Heritage Pack. This rarely discounted collection of Star Wars games is on sale for $30 at Amazon and GameStop. Star Wars: Heritage Pack comes with seven classic Star Wars games, including the Jedi Knight and Knights of the Old Republic series. The $30 discount matches the best deal yet, and we don't expect it to remain in stock at Amazon for very long. Star Wars: Heritage Pack $30 (was $60) The physical edition of Star Wars: Heritage Pack typically sells for $60. Oddly enough, the digital version of the Star Wars: Heritage Pack used to sell for $80, but it has actually been removed from sale. In comparison, the physical edition was already a bargain at full price, but now you're getting each game for just over $4 each--which is far lower than the price of buying the games separately from the eShop.Star Wars: Heritage collection pulls together seven classic Star Wars games:Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi AcademyStar Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi OutcastStar Wars Episode I RacerStar Wars Republic CommandoStar Wars: The Force UnleashedKnights of the Old Republic (Downloadable)Knights of the Old Republic 2 (Downloadable) See at Amazon See at GameStop While the first five games are playable directly off the Switch cartridge, both Knights of the Old Republic are digital versions that need to be downloaded from the eShop--so make sure you have a good internet connection and a bit of space on your microSD card. Combined, the two KOTOR games clock in just shy of 30GB.More Gaming, Tech, and Entertainment Deals & Preorders Highly Limited Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary 4K Blu-Ray In Stock At Amazon Lego Monkey Palace Board Game Is Over 50% Off At Amazon Right Now 8BitDo Reveals Leverless Arcade Controllers For PC, Switch, And Xbox + Show More More Gaming, Tech, and Entertainment Deals & Preorders Links (5) Locke & Key Keyhouse Comic Compendium Gets Massive Limited-Time Discount Lego's Awesome New Mario Kart Display Set Is Available Now First Book In Joe Abercrombie's New Fantasy Series Is Finally Here Amazon Restocks Lego Transformers Optimus Prime, Offers Big Discount PSA: Lego Bowser's Muscle Car Is Retiring - Save Big On 3 Mario Sets Before They're Gone

Look, up on the internet! It’s a clip, it’s a teaser… No! It’s the full Superman trailer we’ve been waiting for! After giving us bits and pieces, DC Studios has finally released a massive three-minute trailer for this summer’s Superman, written and directed by James Gunn. The sizzle reel finally gives a sense of the central conflict of the movie, in which Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) takes advantage of public opinion turning against Superman when he stops a war in foreign lands. We also are hinted that these actions create ripples within the Daily Planet newsroom and cause friction with the movie’s pseudo-Justice League. Also somehow Lex Luthor is able to invade the Fortress of Solitude where he wrecks things with a character called the Engineer! And if you don’t know who the Engineer is, boy do we have some details to reveal to you… “Ms. Lane,” 2025 Style For all the kaiju and extra meta-humans that he’s including in Superman, Gunn has always insisted that the movie is primarily about Superman and the triangle between Clark, Lois, and Lex. The trailer makes that point in its first scenes, which also call back to a beloved moment in the original Superman movie from 1978. Once again, we have Lois (Rachel Brosnahan) interviewing Superman (David Corenswet) to satisfy the world’s curiosity. But the tone is quite different from any version we’ve seen in the past. Owing perhaps to the already comfortable relationship between a Lois and Clark where she knows he is Superman, we see a feistier version of the Man of Steel. He almost gets defensive at Lois’ questions, with the hero insisting that he did good because it needed to be done, and that matters more than issues of international law. More importantly though, we get to see one of the most crucial parts of any Superman performance, the transformation between mild-mannered Clark Kent and the Man of Steel. That transition was pulled off beautifully by Christopher Reeve in the original movie where he became a totally different person within one unbroken shot. It is a favorite moment for many in that movie, including Gunn. Cut to 2025 and Corenswet does the same thing here, albeit it’s much more subtle. He’s slouched and sitting back when Clark agrees to let Lois interview Superman. But when it’s time for the interview to begin, he sits up and squares his shoulders. He gives a confident, hopeful look and drops his voice by an octave to begin. While not as pronounced as Reeve’s changes, the subtly matters. As demonstrated by the emphasis on Smallville here, with Pa Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince) giving an inspirational voiceover, a job usually reserved for Supes’s Kryptonian father Jor-El, this Superman is both a son of Krypton and a son of Kansas. Neither is a fake. Both are his real identity and thus the lines between them will blur. Photo: DC Studios The trailer underscores Lex Luthor’s role as the ultimate big bad. Driven by jealousy and refusing to respect an alien, Luthor thinks his mistrust has been proven correct when Superman stops a war. However, the well-groomed CEO has got a lot of other heavy hitters to help him out, including a woman in black leather whose hands turn into blades as they destroy the Fortress of Solitude. That is the Engineer, played by María Gabriela de Faría, and she takes some explaining. The Engineer first debuted in 1999’s The Authority #1, written by Warren Ellis and penciled by Bryan Hitch. Part of the Wildstorm Universe, a comic book universe separate from the DC stable, the Authority were a collection of heroes who set themselves to making a better world by enforcing their will. Under the pen of Ellis and other writers, including Mark Millar and Grant Morrison, the Authority applied amoral realpolitik to superheroes, something antithetical to heroes such as the Justice League. In fact, the famed Superman story “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way” saw Superman stand up to and rebuke a team modeled on the Authority. However, when DC took full control of the Wildstorm line, they integrated the Authority into the DC Universe where they are heroes with questionable tactics. Judging by the trailer, Gunn plans to use the Engineer as more of a villain or at least antagonist. As in the comics, the Engineer has nano technology that allows her to change her body into a weapon, not unlike the T-1000 from Terminator 2. She’s clearly working alongside Lex here, but it’s hard to imagine that Gunn won’t have Supes teach the Engineer something about how to create a better world through inspiration instead of force. Photo: DC Studios Is That Ultraman? Bizarro? Joining the Engineer in the fight against Superman is a hulking male figure in all leather. We’ve seen this figure before, duking it out with Superman in a stadium. But this is the best look that we’ve had at him so far, and the best look we’ve gotten at the emblem on his chest. That “U” shaped design is familiar to comic book readers who recognize that as the emblem of Ultraman, the Superman of Earth-3. In the DC multiverse, Earth-3 is the evil dimension, in which Ultraman, Owlman, and Superwoman lead the Injustice League of America, taking the place of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman of the Justice League of America. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! However, Ultraman usually has no problem showing his face and often runs around in a blue and red getup, not this leather number. And he certainly wouldn’t take orders from a weenie like Lex Luthor. So who is that guy? Given his massive powers and his hidden face, smart money suggests that the figure is in fact Bizarro, a flawed but super-strong clone of Superman. It would follow that Lex would make his own version of Superman and, in a blow against his hubris, get it wrong. That origin has been used for Bizarro in the comics, and it would fit within the themes that Gunn seems to be exploring. Photo: DC Studios Rick Flag Sr. of the Creature Commandos One of the more confusing parts about James Gunn’s tenure as the co-head of DC Studios is that he’s doing only a partial reboot of the now defunct DCEU. Sure, Henry Cavill is out as Superman and it seems that the events of Justice League and Batman v Superman: The Dawn of Justice didn’t happen. But The Suicide Squad and Creature Commandos, or at least some version of them, did happen. Thus far the only bridge between these worlds is Rick Flag Sr., who is played by Frank Grillo. We first met Flag in animated form in Creature Commandos, where he was assigned by Amanda Waller to lead Task Force M. Throughout that series, Flag expresses sorrow at the death of his son Rick Flag Jr., who was played by Joel Kinnaman in Suicide Squad and The Suicide Squad. Flag doesn’t get to do much in this trailer other than look very serious and escort Superman into custody, alongside the Engineer and maybe-Bizarro. But his sober expression suggests that he still has a mistrust of guys who take things into their own hands, owing perhaps to his anger at Flagg’s death at the hands of Peacemaker during the mission to stop the Thinker from exploiting Starro the Conqueror in Corto Maltese. Remember? Photo: DC Studios The scenes of Superman in custody apparently lead to images of him in a sort of prison made of cubed glass, reminiscent of Magneto’s holding pen in X-Men or the monster cages in The Cabin in the Woods. Initially we see soldiers beating on Superman within the prison. Later he seems to have gained the power to bust out. In between we get a shot of Metamorpho, one of the more highly-anticipated characters in the movie. Played by Anthony Carrigan, Metamorpho has the ability to turn himself into any element (including Kryptonite, maybe?), and we see a bit of that power at work when his hands start to dissipate in a strange way. Metamorpho is just one of the heroes who show up in the trailer, which also gives us better looks at Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) flying through the sky, Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) using his T-spheres, and the Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) using his power ring in a particularly jerky way. But we also see glimpses of other figures in the prison, suggesting that there are somehow even more metahumans than we realized. It’s hard to see any of the others, save for the woman imprisoned in the cube to Superman’s left. There we see a blond woman in a pink dress who reacts in horror. On one hand, that might just be a regular lady in a pink dress who, for some reason, gets sent to the same jail as Metamorpho and Superman. However, the outfit doesn’t look too different from the one worn by a C-list fantasy hero called Amethyst. Created by writers Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn and artist Ernie Colón, Amethyst first debuted in 1983’s The Legion of Super-Heroes #298 and was soon spun off into her own comic. Amethyst is the princess of a magical place called Gemworld where she has high fantasy adventures. Amethyst has carried her own series from time to time but doesn’t enjoy the same level of popularity as even Guy Gardner. But if Gunn’s going to delve into different genres for his version of the DC Universe, Amethyst is a great way to bring more fantasy into the world of superheroes. Superman flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.

Iron Man is still yet to be shown (EA) A major Marvel title has been delayed to next year, as details emerge around EA’s upcoming Iron Man game via a job listing. It’s easy to forget about the huge number of Marvel games in development, as there are so few tangible details about any of them. Beyond Insomniac’s Wolverine, we have a standalone Black Panther game from Cliffhanger Games, an Iron Man title from EA Motive, Arkane Lyon’s Blade, throwback brawler Marvel Cosmic Invasion, and Marvel 1943: Rise Of Hydra from Uncharted director Amy Hennig. While the latter was due to be released later this year, developer Skydance New Media has announced it has now been delayed to early 2026. ‘Taking this additional time will allow us to add more polish, and make sure we give you the best possible experience, and one that lives up to our vision,’ read the brief statement from Skydance Games. ‘We have some exciting things in store and look forward to sharing more soon!’ A trailer for Marvel 1943: Rise Of Hydra was released last year. The action game will revolve around four heroes, namely Captain America, Black Panther, Howling Commandos member Gabriel Jones, and Wakandan leader Nanali, in an original story. Considering we haven’t seen any gameplay from the project yet, the delay isn’t exactly surprising. A 2026 launch could benefit the game timing wise too, as it might get a bump from the release of crossover film Avengers: Doomsday in May next year. However, that does start to stray perilously close to the release date of GTA 6, which is currently set for May 26. Beyond Marvel: 1943: Rise Of Hydra, a job listing for EA Motive’s Iron Man has outed new details about the single-player action game. As noted in the level designer advert, EA Motive is looking for someone who can ‘design and build major single-player levels, within the project’s creative constraints’. More Trending While it isn’t stated explicitly, this description suggests the game could be level-based. However, a prior job listing on the same game described it as an ‘open world action adventure AAA title’, so it’s unclear if plans have changed, or if it’s simply referring to levels within the open world. The listing also calls for ‘experience in single-player action RPG games’, which is the first mention we’ve had of any role-playing mechanics (even if it will likely just mean some sort of skill tree. Development on Iron Man is being led by Olivier Proulx, who previously worked on the acclaimed Guardians Of The Galaxy game for Square Enix. No footage has been shown, yet but the studio apparently hit a ‘major internal milestone’ on the project last year. With so many unknowns, we could hear more about both projects at Summer Game Fest on June 6, 2025. However, EA Motive is also working on the next Battlefield, which is set to launch before March 2026, so any news about Iron Man might be held back till after that. The Rise Of Hydra will have to wait (Skydance) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Helldivers 2's Illuminate faction unleashes deadly new enemy terrors as latest update lands Plus new Warbond coming soon. Image credit: Eurogamer/Arrowhead Game Studios News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on May 13, 2025 It's all go on the Illuminate front in Helldivers 2, with the co-op sci-fi shooter's powerful third faction having now set a course for Super Earth - and it's bringing "new terrors" along too. All this arrives as part of Helldivers 2's latest update which - in lore terms at least - sees the squid-like Iluminate emerging from the Meridian singularity in order to bring the never-ending fight for Democracy to Super Earth itself. In more specific terms, that means a wave of brand-new Illuminate enemies. There's the Stingray - jetfighters that unleash devastating strafing runs from above - and the Crescent Overseer, which "has the ability to lay barrages on Helldivers in cover". Helldivers 2 - Galactic Emergency trailer.Watch on YouTube Worse still are the Fleshmob; failed Illuminate experiments assembled from Voteless parts and let loose on the battlefield. Developer Arrowhead is also teasing "even larger ships", but is leaving players to discover these on their own. Elsewhere, Arrowhead has introduced a new load-out customisation feature it says will work with "the bulk of" Helldivers 2's weapon offerings. "Most primary weapons now have levels that are achievable by completing missions," it explains on the PlayStation Blog, "which then in turn unlock new attachments obtainable through Requisition." Players can also unlock patterns and apply them to their weapons, and a variety of patterns tied to previous Warbonds - specifically Viper Commandos, Freedom's Flame, Chemical Agents, and Truth Enforcers Warbonds - will be made available on 15th May. That's the same day the new Masters of Ceremony Warbond arrives. And finally for Helldivers 2's latest update, item rotation has been removed from the Superstore, meaning players can purchase any item they want anytime they want, no waiting required. It launches today on PS5 and PC.

Helldivers 2 received an unexpected update with new weapon customizations and more enemy types, just in time for the Illuminate to come roaring out of a black hole with their sights set on Super Earth. “In a sudden, completely unprovoked offensive, they emerged. Nothing is safe, not even the heart of democracy itself,” the announcer shouts, exaggerated gravitas in his voice. “Liberty’s darkest hour approaches. Super Earth needs you.” The update lands with all of the tongue-in-cheek humor that Helldivers 2 brings to the table, but it also introduces new Illuminate enemy types, including the jetfighter-like Stingray and the Crescent Overseer, a foe that can launch attacks over cover. Then there’s the Fleshmob, described as “a Frankenstein’s monster of Voteless parts” that is reminiscent of Flood Carriers from Halo. The PlayStation Blog post hints at other, as-yet-unannounced enemies. Recommended Videos Helldivers can now customize their weapons, too. Most primary weapons have levels that can be raised by completing specific missions, and players can unlock different attachments that tweak everything from handling to ammo capacity. The update allows players to fine-tune their favorite gun to suit their playstyle by adjusting stats like recoil, reload time, and more. There are also new skins to pick from for each weapon, too. Helldiver 2‘s Superstore is also getting a boost. You don’t have to wait for things to come back into rotation; instead, you can browse through the entire library of items and purchase the ones you want with Super Credits, the game’s premium currency (but it can also be found in missions, so you don’t have to spend any realm money.) Related Finally, the update also tosses in a few new patterns for the Fast Recon Vehicle in several existing Warbonds, including Viper Commandos, Freedom’s Flame, Chemical Agents, and Truth Enforcers. The patterns unlock on May 15, coinciding with the launch of the new Masters of Ceremony Warbond.

Arrowhead Game Studios’ extensive ARG for Helldivers 2 has culminated in the latest update, which sees the Illuminate invading Earth. Check out the release trailer below. New enemy types include the aerial Stingray, which performs strafing runs like the Eagle Fighters; the Crescent Overseer and its ability to unleash barrages on players in cover; and the Fleshmob, a mass of Voteless body parts. Other “even larger ships” have been teased and could appear in subsequent weeks. However, perhaps the most notable addition is the addition of leveling for “most” Primary weapons. Upon completing missions and leveling them up, players can unlock new attachments like magazines, muzzles, and under-barrels to alter a weapon’s performance. You can even unlock new camos to customize their appearance. Other new features include new patterns for the Viper Commandos, Truth Enforcers, Chemical Agents and Freedom’s Flame Warbonds when the Masters of Ceremony Warbond launches. Furthermore, the Superstore has every item in stock without players waiting for rotations. Stay tuned for details on other changes, including balance adjustments, shortly.

Helldivers, get to your Super Destroyers! In a surprise turn of events that even our top researchers couldn’t predict, the Illuminate have finally revealed their intentions, emerging from the Meridian singularity, and setting a course for Super Earth. It’s now more important than ever that we band together and stop this salvo from destroying our liberty. Play Video New enemies The Illuminate threat has grown, unleashing new terrors on our citizens across the galaxy. Reports indicate the Illuminate have deployed larger, more powerful enemies within their fleet, among them are the Stingray: jetfighters that provide Illuminate support from the sky, targeting Helldivers and lining up devastating strafing runs. Another new foe is the Crescent Overseer, which has the ability to lay barrages on Helldivers in cover. But perhaps most terrifying are the reports of a failed Illuminate experiment called the Fleshmob: a Frankenstein’s monster of Voteless parts turned into a brute battlefield force that the Helldivers must work hard to destroy. There have been sightings of other, even larger ships, though details remain unclear on their abilities. But we can’t underestimate the squids, divers, and that’s why we’re assembling our best and brightest to push them back into oblivion where they belong. We have to gather all our resources to face this incursion and, fortunately, Super Earth’s R&D department has unlocked some powerful tools for our Helldivers, in the hopes that they will help crush the onslaught of Illuminate invaders. Customize your loadout Helldivers are being given access to a robust new weapon customization feature for the bulk of our primary weapon offerings. Most primary weapons now have levels that are achievable by completing missions, which then in turn unlock new attachments obtainable through Requisition. In addition to attachments, players can also unlock patterns for their weapons. Whether it’s tweaking sights for precision, changing color patterns, adjusting magazines for ammo capacity, muzzles to optimize weapon performance characteristics or adjusting under-barrel attachments for the handling you want, you’re in command of how your weaponry performs on the battlefield. This level of individual attunement is sure to make your favorite primary best in its class. Old Warbonds, new patterns We have unlocked and deployed a stash of patterns for the FRV themed on our Viper Commandos, Freedom’s Flame, Chemical Agents, and Truth Enforcers Warbonds. These will help your squad stand out to aid in battlefield coordination and collaboration. This backlog of patterns will unlock for Helldivers on May 15, with the launch of the Masters of Ceremony Warbond! Expanded Surplus The Superstore is also getting an emergency expansion to boost your arsenals for the fight. No more waiting for items to come back into rotation–now the items you want are always available, ready to stock your ship and armor your Helldivers with items you might have missed the first time around. This is the moment of truth, Helldivers. Everyone to the front lines and fight for our right to spread Managed Democracy! *Requires base game, paid purchase of Super Credits, and game progression to unlock.