How to Find Optional Secondary Objectives in Helldivers 2

Secondary Objectives are an important part of the game but can be tricky to find. This article explains how to find those optional Secondary Objectives in Helldivers 2.

Missions in Helldivers 2 have a lot going on in them. Apart from the Primary Mission, there are enemy bases of various sizes that you can destroy and Secondary Objectives. All of these contribute to the overall mission success. Secondary Objectives grant you the best bonuses and rewards, but they tend to be hidden and you have to find them on your own. With that in mind, let’s see how to find optional Secondary Objectives in Helldivers 2.

Helldivers 2: How to Find Optional Secondary Objectives

Almost every mission has some Secondary Objectives. The higher the difficulty, the more Objectives there are. Completing those optional Objectives will grant you rewards, usually in the form of XP and Requisition. Some Secondaries grant you additional in-game bonuses (like the SEAF Artillery) or stop certain negative “effects” (like Spore Spewers or Stalker Lairs). But, as they do not appear on the map from the start, finding them can be tricky. So, here are a couple of methods that can help you out.

Helldivers 2 player looking at the moon — Image via N4G Unlocked

Best Ways to Find Secondary Objectives in Helldivers 2

Radar Tower

The absolute best way to find optional Objectives is to find and complete the Radar Tower Secondary Objective. Unfortunately, not every map has it. It looks like a large radar tower with a folded satellite dish, and you have to do a couple of simple tasks to complete it. Once you do that, every POI and Secondary Objective on the map will be revealed on your minimap.

HELLDIVERS 2 – Pre-Purchase – Super Citizen Edition – PC [Online Game Code]

BECOME A LEGEND – You will be assembled into squads of up to four Helldivers and assigned strategic missions. Watch each other’s back – friendly fire is an unfortunate certainty of war, but victory without teamwork is impossible.
LOADOUTS – Rain down freedom from above, sneak through enemy territory, or grit your teeth and charge head-first into the jaws of combat. How you deliver liberty is your choice; you’ll have access to a wide array of explosive firepower, life-saving armour and battle-changing stratagems… the jewel in every Helldiver’s arsenal.
REQUISITION – Super Earth recognises your hard work with valuable Requisition. Use it to access different rewards that benefit you, your squad, your destroyer ship and our overall war effort.
THREATS – Everything on every planet wants you dead. That’s what we’re dealing with. Each enemy has distinct and unpredictable characteristics, tactics, and behaviour – but they all fight ferociously and without fear or morality.

Exploration and Question Marks

If the Radar Tower is not present on the map (or you cannot find it), the tried and true method of just exploring the map is your best bet. As you move about, you’ll start noticing question marks (?) appearing on your radar on the top of the screen. Those usually represent POIs, but can sometimes lead to optional Objectives.

As you get more familiar with the game, you’ll start noticing that some Secondaries can be traced, ie, they have an “effect’ that you can trace back to its root. For example, if an area of the map has spore clouds that reduce your vision, you can be sure that Spore Spewers are in the middle of it. If you are getting attacked by Stalkers, you can be sure that the Stalker Lair is somewhere nearby.

Spamming the Minimap

The community has offered this hilarious yet effective way to locate optional Objectives. As soon as you drop on the planet, open your minimap and start placing markers all over the map. The trick is that if you happen to ping a location that has an unrevealed Secondary Objective, it will mark it with a colored rectangle, and not place the regular marker symbol. If the whole squad is doing that, you can “scan” the whole map in no time.

Helldivers 2 image of the Gunship Facility — Image via N4G Unlocked

Helldivers 2: Number of Secondary Objectives in a Misson

The number of optional objectives you can find during a single mission depends on the mission type and your chosen difficulty. There are no Secondary Objectives on dedicated defense missions (like Extermination, Civilian Escort, or High-Value Asset fort-defense missions). As for other, “regular” missions, the number depends on the difficulty you are playing.

Difficulty 1 = 0
Difficulty 2-3 = 1
Difficulty 4-5 = 2 (+1 optional, if it is shown on the map at the briefing, marked in blue)
Difficulty 6-7= 3 (+1 optional)
Difficulty 8-9 = 4 (+1 optional)