A healthy rivalry is brewing in the world of bug-blasting video games, between the undeniable top-dogHelldivers 2, and Starship Troopers: Extermination, which just received an impressive update with new gameplay mechanics, performance improvements, and an updated spawn system.
Developed by Offworld Industries and released in 2024, Starship Troopers: Extermination received mixed reviews due mostly to technical bugs and performance issues, leaving many gamers to view it as a diamond in the rough that still needed some serious work.
Update 1.6gives fans a smoother gaming experience overall and several impactful gameplay changes, with the main focus being the addition of an AI system dubbed ‘The Director’ in charge of where and when your enemies will spawn.
Starship Troopers: Extermination Player Count Is Rising
While there’s still a lot of ground to cover if Extermination aims to go toe-to-toe with Helldivers 2, it appears the new content, technical fixes, and spawning system overhaul haveslowly begun to bring in more players. Offworld has stated that the newAI boss of horde spawnswill take into consideration things likemission objectives, pacing intensity, player positioning, and spawn zone availabilityto create immersive and unique combat scenarios.
It’s not just about sending waves of bugs, it’s about sending therightkind of pressure at the right time. Whether you’re holding a point or racing to extract, The Director can adjust the tempo to make combat feel more dynamic and deliberate.
Offworld has stated the upgraded spawn system has reduced the CPU load on both the server and client, and it was specifically designed to make releasing new content easier.
“We’ve built The Director to work not just in existing game modes, but infuture scenariosas well. This system will help us expand gameplay in meaningful ways, whether that’s horde-style modes, ARC missions, or new event challenges.”
The bugs inStarship Troopers: Exterminationare also getting smarter, as they have gained the ability to burrow directly into the Federation assets and open up ‘bug holes’ requiring players to use explosives to blow them up. The update also includes a long list of quality of life improvements including enemy balancing and UI changes.
The gap in player count betweenHelldivers 2and Starship Troopers: Extraction is still a massive one, but it appears Offworld Industries is committed to adding the layer of polish fans were asking for, and update 1.6 is a fantastic start.
With an AI overlord deciding your fate, new bug-burrowing mechanics, and a thorough sweep of technical fixes, Starship Troopers: Extermination is laying down a solid foundation and fighting for its spot among thebest bug-blastersin the business.
