Helldivers 2: poisonous Noxious Terminids and bug caves on almost every biome arrive with the Galactic Sterilization campaign
Since November 3, 2026, Helldivers 2 has two new permanent Terminid enemies, the Noxious Scavenger and the Noxious Spewer, a new poison status effect and bug caves on almost all biomes. The free Galactic Sterilization campaign runs until November 16, 2026 and rewards successful completion with the M-104 Incinerator FRV stratagem.
The Terminid front of Helldivers 2 has become more dangerous. In a PlayStation Blog post published on November 3, 2026, Arrowhead Game Studios community manager Mitchell Ayre introduced a new “Noxious” strain of bugs, fast and venomous, along with bug caves that can now appear on many more planets. The same announcement went out that day as a Community Announcement on the game’s Steam page.
A free campaign until November 16
On its official Helldivers 2 page, PlayStation presents this content as the Galactic Sterilization update. It is available from November 3, 2026 at no additional cost, and the two new enemies and the expanded caves are permanent additions for all players. The in-game narrative campaign runs from November 3 to November 16, 2026; no end time or time zone was given. If the community completes it successfully, participating players will receive the M-104 Incinerator FRV stratagem.
Noxious Scavenger: small, fast, venomous
It looks like a regular Scavenger but is noticeably quicker, which makes it hard to keep in your sights. Every bite poisons you, and it can bite again almost immediately. It is fragile, though: Arrowhead recommends weapons that favour volume over precision, such as shotguns, flamethrowers and grenades.
Noxious Spewer: the big one
Unlike the Spewers players already know, this hulking Terminid moves with unsettling speed, and it is behind the webs now covering the battlefield. At medium range, its Web Spit takes away your ability to sprint on a single hit. Its bite is quick, has surprising reach and carries a stronger dose of venom than a Scavenger’s. Its head has medium armor, but its web-filled abdomen has none at all. The catch: when that sac bursts, the resulting Web Explosion snares every Helldiver and every bug nearby.
How poison works
A new poison icon on the HUD shows your condition, in two stages:
• lightly poisoned: your vision starts to haze and poison slowly eats away at your health;
• heavily poisoned: damage over time increases, you can no longer sprint and your vision hazes.
Stims cure the condition, so Arrowhead advises rationing them, since a poisoned squadmate may need one too.
Bug caves on almost every biome
Bug caves are no longer limited to a handful of worlds. The PlayStation Blog post says they now have a chance to appear across more biomes on the Galactic map. PlayStation’s official page is more precise: caves can now exist on almost all biomes, but not on the arctic biome. Inside, sightlines are short and corners are blind, so the studio recommends close-range firepower, staying with your squad and keeping a stim in reserve.
What is not specified
Helldivers 2 is available on PS5, PC and Xbox Series X|S, according to PlayStation’s official page. Neither the blog post nor the Steam announcement publishes detailed patch notes, a version number or a download size for this update, and the announcement does not mention any new Warbond.
Sources
PlayStation Blog, “Helldivers 2: new poisonous Terminid types, more bug caves spawn across the galaxy today”, Mitchell Ayre, Arrowhead Game Studios (November 3, 2026).
PlayStation, “Helldivers 2 latest Warbonds and updates”, Galactic Sterilization section (consulted November 9, 2026).
Steam, Helldivers 2 Community Announcement, “Helldivers 2: new poisonous Terminid types, bug caves spawn across the galaxy” (November 3, 2026).
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