For many Helldivers, The Gloom started as a mysterious red cloud on the galactic map. Now, it's a central front in the war, introducing new enemy strains and changing how we operate. Based on in-game events and common player experiences, here’s a breakdown of what The Gloom is, the threats it contains, and how operations within it typically unfold.

What is The Gloom?In simple terms, The Gloom is a massive, spreading spore cloud of Terminid origin, roughly 20 parsecs in diameter. It acts as both a hazard and a territory. Initially, any ship entering it was lost, severing communication and preventing travel. Its primary function seems to be spreading new, more dangerous Terminid variants to planets it envelops. The official objective for Helldivers has been to secure samples from planets near The Gloom to research a way to counter it, though this effort has been hampered by logistical issues, including counterfeit samples setting back scientific progress.

Why Can We Now Enter The Gloom?

For a long time, diving into The Gloom was impossible. The breakthrough came from in-game research. Scientists discovered that Gloom spores fuse to FTL drive components, causing catastrophic failure. By studying Terminid biology—specifically, using tissue samples Helldivers secured—a polymer coating was developed that protects our Super Destroyers' drives. This coating is why our fleets can now operate inside the cloud, enabling expeditions like Operation: Righteous Reclamation. Essentially, our ability to fight inside The Gloom was earned through completing collective Major Orders to gather specific samples.

What New Threats Does The Gloom Introduce?

The Gloom isn't just a visual effect; it's home to evolved Terminid strains that behave differently from the ones on regular fronts. Most players have encountered these through special "Gloom Research Expedition" orders or during the ongoing Great Expedition. The key strains include:

• The Predator Strain: Faster, more aggressive bugs that first appeared on planets like Fenrir III.

• The Spore Strain: Often found spewing toxic clouds, complicating positioning and sightlines.

• The Rupture Strain: A major game-changer. These Terminids burrow underground and erupt near players, breaking traditional attack patterns and forcing constant movement.

• Dragonroaches: Flying Bile Titans that control the skies, making open areas extremely dangerous.

• Hive Lords: The return of this towering, devastating boss-level enemy from the first war. They are typically found guarding the deepest parts of Hive Worlds within The Gloom.

Engaging with these threats requires adapting your loadout. Area denial strategems, weapons with high stagger, and tools for revealing burrowed enemies become much more valuable inside The Gloom.

What is a "Hive World" and a "Spore Lung"?

As the Great Expedition progressed, we discovered the engine behind The Gloom: Hive Worlds. Planets like Oshaune are not just infested; they are massive spore factories. The key structure is the Spore Lung, a gigantic subterranean organ that pumps spores into space. Destroying these is a primary strategic objective. In practice, this means Helldivers must fight through intense, nested cave systems to plant a Hellbomb on the Lung. Successfully liberating a Hive World and destroying its Spore Lungs has been shown to cause The Gloom to physically recede from surrounding star systems, proving this is the most effective way to push back the cloud.

How Do Operations Within The Gloom Actually Work?

From a gameplay perspective, operations in The Gloom, such as the current Great Expedition, function as a series of concentrated Major Orders focused on specific planetary chains. The flow usually follows this pattern:

1. Secure a Foothold: The first phase is often liberating a planet to establish a forward base (like Outpost Alpha on Hellmire). This is narratively explained as allowing our coated Destroyers to resupply.

2. Investigate and Secure: The next phase involves dropping on a Hive World (like Oshaune) for reconnaissance, sample collection, and ultimately, Spore Lung destruction.

3. Defend Gains: The Gloom periodically pushes back. It's common to see new, mutated strains spill onto planets adjacent to the cloud, triggering defensive Major Orders to prevent its expansion.

Managing your loadout for these missions is critical. You'll need to balance tools for clearing dense hordes with the specific heavy ordnance required for objective destruction. Furthermore, acquiring the right helldivers 2 items, such as booster modules that improve radar or reduce stratagem recoil, can provide a tangible edge in the chaotic, close-quarters fights within spore tunnels.

What Was the Point of the Fori Prime Expedition?

The earlier Gloom Research Expedition to Fori Prime was a testing ground. It allowed the game's narrative to introduce the concept of scientific operations within the cloud and let players face the initial new strains in a controlled event. While Fori Prime was ultimately lost, the data retrieved was used to develop the polymer coating and further study E-710. In essence, it was the first real player-driven step into understanding the threat, paving the way for the larger-scale Great Expedition.

Is the Gloom Connected to the Illuminate or Automatons?

Currently, there is no direct in-game evidence from gameplay or orders that The Gloom is a creation of or allied with the other factions. It appears to be a purely Terminid phenomenon. The narrative has suggested the Illuminate might be interested in the cloud's properties (like the Dark Fluid/Element-711 discovered on Oshaune), but they operate independently. In general, players treat the Gloom front as a separate, distinct war against an evolved Terminid ecosystem.

ConclusionThe Gloom represents a significant escalation in the Helldivers 2 conflict. It functions as a high-threat zone that introduces punishing new enemy types and multi-stage strategic objectives. Success hinges on the community coordinating to destroy key Hive Worlds and their Spore Lungs, which has a direct, visible impact on shrinking the cloud on the galactic map. Operations here are typically more difficult and require adapted tactics, but they are currently the main frontline for pushing back the Terminid threat at its source.