Helldivers 2 players share videos of new flying bug enemy, Arrowhead boss immediately declares them 'bug sympathizers' and insists 'bugs can't fly'

There's a new Terminid threat on the horizon, and Super Earth doesn't want us to know about it. Reports from Helldivers 2 players suggest a new type of enemy has joined the frey: a bug breed possibly called the "Shrieker." They travel in packs, attack from the skies, and look annoying as heck.

That's all been gleaned from a video shared on the Helldivers 2 subreddit by user Projectpatdc, who appeared very surprised to suddenly be attacked by an unknown Terminid foe. On Reddit, user Litnos has also shared a sighting, adding that the "Shriekers" appeared for them as a random side objective similar to Stalkers.

In the Reddit clip, Projectpatdc is in the middle of a standard refinery mission at level 5 difficulty when the Shrieker strafing begins. A single strike deals over half of their HP, and the pest immediately escapes back to the sky. In the distance, we can see an unfamiliar structure—glowing, tree-shaped objects that, I'd wager, are nests that must be destroyed to stop the Shriekers from spawning.

The evidence seems irrefutable. The surprise sightings coincide with the beginning of a major order that introduced an additional mission type to Helldivers 2. The perfect opportunity to sneak in another surprise, and yet Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt is playing coy.

"I've heard rumors of flying bugs in Helldivers 2. I want to officially refute such preposterous claims," he tweeted today. "Everyone knows that 'Bugs can't fly.' And I'm not alone in thinking this. The Ministry of Truth agrees that this is propaganda from bug sympathizers that want to brainwash good people."

I'll admit that, for a moment, I wondered if this was a serious denial despite being written in the style of the in-game fiction. Then I read this followup reply, where one fan drew a circle around what definitely appears to be a flying bug on the official Helldivers 2 box art, which Pilestedt dismissed as "image manipulation by traitors."

The Shrieker emergence is the latest of a seemingly unending pile of surprises Arrowhead has planned for its smash hit co-op shooter, which over a month after launch is still the top selling game on Steam. Last week, players fought (and quickly won) a mini war to unlock mechs. Later this week, a new premium warbond arrives with new weapons, armor, and cosmetics.