Helldivers 2 Noxious Strain Guide: The New Poison Bugs, How to Cure Poison and Why Bug Caves Are Everywhere Now

Helldivers 2 Noxious Terminids are the newest threat on the bug front. Arrowhead's Ministry of Truth briefing on November 3 introduced the fast, venomous Noxious strain, including a Noxious Scavenger and a hulking Noxious Spewer that sprays webs. Their bites inflict a new poison status, and bug caves can now appear across more biomes on the Galactic map instead of a handful of worlds.

Helldivers 2 Noxious strain at a glance

What are the Noxious Terminids in Helldivers 2?

The Noxious strain is a new Terminid variant that Arrowhead describes as "fast, venomous, and fundamentally opposed to Managed Democracy". They're built to slow you down, poison you and swarm you in tight spaces.

Noxious Scavenger

At first glance it looks like an ordinary Scavenger. The difference shows when it gets close: it's small and fast, and its bite is venomous.

Noxious Spewer

Forget Spewers dragging themselves along the ground. This one is a hulking bug that moves with unsettling speed, and it's the source of the webs now covering the battlefield. Its bite is quick, has surprising reach and carries stronger venom than a Scavenger's.

How do you kill a Noxious Spewer?

Its head has medium armor, but its web-filled abdomen has no armor at all. There's a catch: when the sac bursts it causes a Web Explosion that snares every Helldiver and bug nearby. So the abdomen is the easy target, as long as you and your squad aren't standing next to it. At medium range, watch for its Web Spit. One hit stops you sprinting, letting it close the gap.

How does poison work in Helldivers 2?

Every Noxious bite poisons you, and a new poison icon on your HUD shows your condition. There are two levels:

• Lightly poisoned: your vision starts to haze and the poison eats away at your health.
• Heavily poisoned: damage over time increases, you can't sprint and your vision hazes further.

How do you cure poison in Helldivers 2?

Use a stim. Arrowhead says stims help cure the condition, so ration them, as a poisoned squadmate may need one too.

Where are the bug caves in Helldivers 2?

Bug caves "are no longer limited to a handful of worlds" and can now appear across more biomes on the Galactic map. Arrowhead hasn't listed specific planets. Inside, sightlines are short, corners are blind and fast enemies reach you before you hear them, which makes caves ideal ground for the Noxious strain. Its official advice: bring close-range firepower, stay with your squad and keep a stim in reserve.

How much is Helldivers 2?

Helldivers 2 costs $39.99 / £34.99 / €39.99 on Steam. About 22,700 people were playing on Steam when we checked on the morning of November 4.

Watch the Helldivers 2 trailer

There's no Noxious strain trailer on Arrowhead's channels yet. This is the latest official Helldivers 2 video on PlayStation's YouTube channel.

More Helldivers 2 on iGame Magazine

• Helldivers 2 Positive Reviews – Steam’s Latest Success: how Helldivers 2 won players back
• Helldivers 2 60 Day Roadmap – Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Play: the 60-day plan that turned it around

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