No no, it's not like that! You see, by killing these Automatons, we're putting our fellow tortured humans out of their misery, freeing them from their fascist Automaton cage!
Most convincing argument for that the automatrons are reinstated left over brains. Are that a clean headshot makes them go limb like humans. There's never a "chicken without a head" moment or nothing, just dead.
im guessing its more like they are copying brains, then putting them in similar bodies so their minds don't fracture, hence why the bigger bots are just the normal base bots but just wearing exo-suit things and why they die on headshots
When you fight the bugs, you get covered in a greenish goo, when you fight robots, you get covered in red blood, and its not from you…. I thought it was a glitch, but now…
I did a trivial bot mission the other day and never took any damage due to shield backpack. Yet by the end I was drenched in blood Wasn't sure if it was intentional or a bug in programming but this could explain it
I swear outta all variants, it's the rocket 🚀 devastator that kills me the most! Not even the hulk or tank gives me a hard time. Just like the bugs 🐛, Bile titan and charger don't really give me a hard time (unless I don't have anti-armor) it's usually hunter (little green bugs with wings) or assassin bugs are the ones that gives me a hard time
@@Vuntermonkey in my capitalist country as in many others, military service is mandatory. Like South Korea that is colonized by super earth. Or they can make your middle class economic life sucks and pay for your education if you serve as it is in super earth.
Another fun weird fact, if you carry an explosive barrel, and get in their faces, they wont shoot you, as if they are afraid of setting off the explosive you are carrying. They WILL however try to sneak up behind you and punch you in the head to force you to drop the thing before then trying to shoot you xD
@@NoName-ym5zj pretty hilarious to know that the rocket users are full stop nuts, but then again that is usually a pretty common running gag with demolition based characters lol
My theory is that the automatons are still cyborgs, maybe more metal than flesh and mass produced, but still cyborgs. The theory is that super earth is pushing propaganda about the automatons saying that these are fully robot to create that “the enemy isn’t human so you shouldn’t fret killing them” effect you see throughout the history of warfare.
I definitely think the first gen of Automatons were stripped down Cyborgs. The propaganda also covers Super Earth's ass for committing such atrocities and the fact that further production of them are made using harvested citizens.
I think they are fully robbots, a solution for cyborg infertility. But fully sentient... well, controlled by fully sentient GAI. That would explain why they talk as if they were sentient, but with poor coordination. Think as if the actual cyborgs were playing a hero RTS, using a bunch of less powerful GAI. It's because they learn with the sheer genocide from the last war.
After 100 years of them not being seen as a threat to the public, the dehumanization (that ministry of truth let go of during the peace.) wore off on the population. Hence the 'they're heartless monsters' angle of their efforts now. Automaton is a deliberate word choice, because it implies there's nothing organic/alive there at all.
Idk if this is what it looked like, but i swear more than once ive shot down a whole troop of automatons, save for one lesser unit, only to have it seem to look around, realize it was the only remaining unit, then turn and "run" (walk) away in fear.
my head canon (that has loose lore connection but it's more of a trust me bro) but I think the automatons are the descendants of the cyborgs that fled west on the galactic map after the first war but because there's likely less resources out there they went as mechanical as they could pretty much avoiding the food strain while growing in numbers eventually leading to them coming back in an attempt to free cyberstan from super earth oppression or they could just be a contingency A.I sent out by cyberstan near the end of the war in an attempt to salvage what they can and it's coming back to free cyberstan after preparing for the last 100 years in deep space both make sense right now given the context clues
That's definitely a possibility! It's something I've considered, I just felt what little info we have per Super Earth messaging pointed me more in this direction.
@@Jo_Plays_Games And maybe the cybertification of them (Becoming more metal than flesh) its just basically a symbolic way of materialistic communism, as well as trying to be perfected super soldiers (Ubersmench as the Soviet Union did the same of trying to achieve enchanced humans in experiments) that have a "Hivemind" system between becoming the perfect and ideal fusion between the ideal communist (collectivism) and the perfect enchanced human (the ideal man of the revolution) to bring down revolution.
I'm pretty sure it's also implied in the lore that the bomb that went off on Earth, was a false flag. And in actuality the cyborgs never wanted to even fight. Remember folks we're playing as the bad guys.
The Helldivers twitter, a few years ago, sent a bunch of binary encrypted messages that were written by the cyborgs. One of them had this message: "Our children, the automaton will not suffer as we have under the oppression of Super Earth!" This seems to imply that automatons were created by the cyborgs. IMO, automatons are fully mechanical, though certainly they aren't mindless unfeeling machines, given all the evidence. I think they're AI that's highly advanced and self-aware. My theory for why they harvest human bodies is that the "skull-like" headpiece that automatons have are literal human skulls that they use in order to imitate/honor the appearance of their creators the cyborgs.
Yes, this is exactly my thoughts. Except I don't think they wear skulls. When you get a good look at them, especially compared to the skulls the Hulk is decorated with, they feel more like metal parts made to look like human skulls. I think they collect the bodies, most of which you will find headless, for things like decorating Hulks to drive intimidation. But aboslutely they are A.I. created by the cyborgs, made in the image of the cyborgs, and thus imiate the human side of the cyborgs.
I'll admit, I have the hardest time making out a lot of their speech. But I do 100% hear them say "Plutarch scum!" Which is what the Cyborgs said in HD1.
If I remember correctly, Automatons don't hold Cyberstan at the moment, but in fact, as it's suspected by some players from what appears in the game and what developers post on X, are heading TOWARDS it. IMO Automatons are either radical Cyborgs that left to the fringe of the galaxy before Super Earth's victory, or they are some sort of Cyborgs' contingency plan, since in one message Cyborgs call them their "children". Fun fact, black logo of Automatons on round white background is reminiscent to what symbol of National Bolshevism looks like ,but with star and cog instead of hammer and sickle (I won't mention other "national" ideology with similar symbolism, because of obvious reasons).
My theory is that Automans ARE indeed the cyborgs from Cyberstan modified by Super Earth to be their robotic slaves, BUT are now controlled by the Illuminate to fight against the Super Earth.
@@Jo_Plays_Gamessome bodies still have their heads, though. Even the impaled Helldiver heads are still inside their helmets, the helmets are not empty. If the bots use human brains, why not use these? Especially the Helldivers’ brains with all their combat abilities?
@@zaniatnikwhat's to say they didn't try, maybe helldiver brains are too loyal to be forced to kill other divers. Or maybe the few they use are in the more heavy armored units like devestators and hulks. Those things fight like people on the higher difficulties.
The automatons definitely feel extremely Strogg inspired. They have tons of quake enemy features and feel inspired by that art style with the bright shiny bald heads and the tubing. This theory seems like its hitting the nail on the head for sure.
"A difference of opinion on the ratio of flesh to motherboard the human body should contain isn't exactly grounds for warfare" [ LAUGHS IN TOTAL ANNIHILATION ]
Automatons are the Cyborg's children. Don't know whether they are AIs or transmachines from being born a Homosapien, but their behaviour makes sense if they're AIs. Like AIs do fear death ya'll.
Just about every time I start a fight with bots I hear them say "Helldiver scum!" and if you ask me... calling someone "scum" seems like a very human thing to say.
@@Jo_Plays_Games also, im curious! i swear I’ve heard one of them shout “FOR SUPER EARTH” as they charged at me. Do you think it’s possible they’re using the brains of helldivers and making them think they’re fighting an enemy of super earth while in reality they’re actually an automaton? just curious since I’ve seen nobody else cover it, sorry for the weird question-!
Not at all a weird question! I think it's possible there's Helldivers mixed in. But remember, Helldivers are the elite task force of the Super Earth Armed Forces. Even standard soldiers would probably yell that as a battle cry.
@@Jo_Plays_Games that’s true! the way it sounded though was horrific tho, I haven’t heard it much again, heard it a few months ago on Lesath but never heard it again. Sorry for taking up your time by the way! I like having conversations with people and you’re pretty fun to talk to :D
So I just realized something potentially disturbing. The Helldivers are all individuals. So how then do they gain knowledge and experience every-time a new one dies and get's replaced? The game encourages you replay the tutorial again and I noticed some interesting details. The start up screen acts like a computer rebooting and suddenly you gain consciousness. Already prepped for training and encouragement from "fellow" Helldivers. I think the helmet is a dead giveaway for hints of brainwashing (there's some kind of port behind the helmet Matrix style). Each person is brainwashed and the live feed is then fed to the next thawed one. The "player" is not aware of this because they transitioned to a new body so quickly. Each HellDiver doesn't think individually. They all share the same knowledge compounding.
Super Earth propaganda you can catch on the ship TV seems to reference the Automatons being a workforce they've created. "They should have been happy with what they had."
I think Super Earth is either controlling the automatons and using them as an army to fight as a way to justify their hyper-militant culture and massive military spending, or they were making them to guard the bug farms (since the terminids seem to keep breaking out and killing their organic people), but someone took control of them and turned them against super earth (Maybe a Cyberstanian?). The second one is less likely since I don’t think they care about their own citizens much. And also there’s a tv commercial on the ship where it says if you’re too old to work, you can sign up to donate your body to “Bio-repurposer vats, which…Wonder what they could do with those….
@@Jo_Plays_Games I think they want to recover their Cyborg comrades or something, Cyberstan is so far away from where the automaton front broke out so Idk.
Corrosion, in theory. But tbh I have the same question. But if there was a human brain in those noggins, that's extremely soft tissue that'd be very susceptible to something like that....
Many automaton units are definitely cyborgs. There is no design reason for a robot to have the CPU a vulnerable top mounted area, or only two enhanced eyes, unless ...
Ive seen multiple people say that they heard the automatons say " I dont wanna hurt anybody, they are making me hurt you" and other li es that sound like they are being forced to kill
In Helldivers 1 we found out after reaching their home planet that automatons are made by older defected Helldivers. They wanted to create machines using dead helldivers, but the federation wouldn’t allow it so they left to begin making their own army and now here we are. 😏
Cyborgs are in HD1, Automotons are in HD2. Cyborgs created Automatons. In HD2 we can literally watch them come out of fabricators where they are created. 100% machines.
Ur on to something, but the coating on the tubing for supposed fluids being black on the bigger things in prbly just that the bigger things can handle the added weight of extra armor coating.
they are literally chanting "Heart Steel, We Kill, Iron Will On to War (x2), Cyber Stan (sometimes "Diver Scum"), can't keep her down, Legion go(sometimes "We Count Down" or "Get back up"), until Dawn (sometimes "on to war")"
Whether they bots are fully mechanical, or some kind of Frankenstein cyborg horror, it matters not, they will be destroyed. They are a source of high grade alloys and for every one of these mechanical monsters that falls only fuels our war effort against them. For Super Earth!
In the first game apparently the cyborgs sent a message to SE "Our Children, the Automatons, will come for you" or something like that when defeat was imminent
The automatons were talking about 'the reclamation' and then came back and took a bunch of systems but cyberstan was specifically called out They're absolutely cyborg aligned They were made by the cyborgs, they use human brains to some capacity, they have actual malice, conversations, camaraderie, they flinch when shot at, berserkers scream in what sounds like pain instead of berserk rage...
Hello! First off, great video! (obeyed the cat :3 ) I didn't see it mentioned anywhere in the comments, so I just wanted to add that on October 26, 2021, the official Helldivers 1 twitter/X account posted a thread of tweets entirely consisting of binary, and someone decoded it! I do not know if it has any official significance to the lore, but there's a decent chance it does. It reads: "We, the collective from Cyberstan, unanimously assert our independence from Super Earth. We have the right to defend our home form the brainwashed Helldivers. Our children, the automaton, will not suffer as we have under the oppression of Super Earth!"
Thanks so much for watching and the sub! I definitely need to look over that Tweet and also the chants they do, there's definitely some big pieces I didn't know about!
Ok new messed up shit… what if the automatons just take the dead bodies of fallen Helldivers and other corpses, remove the brain if still intact, just throw it into a fabricator and… badabing badaboom, new automaton!
There's also a detail that i find weird, if you survived long enough, after a mision, you are covered in Tyranid blood but when this happens in an automaton mission, you are covered in blood. Idk if it's your blood or the blood of automatons
the Dehumanization of an enemy is an popular tactic in warfare, make the general public see the enemy as monsters and you get alot more support for the wareffort and less angry looks when you are commiting warcrimes/etc. (for potential commenters i will not go into real world situations) and with how many helldivers are lost, yeah....
I think one of the biggest tells is that while they often laugh manically, it usually does not sound like the Berserkers are having a good time. Their speech is scrambled and warped and often they sound like they're crying more than anything. Perhaps Berserkers are made using brains that were damaged or not fully compatable?
There was an ARG encrypted message game from helldivers 1, years ago, that when it was finally decrypted, was basically a declaration of independence of the cyborgs, and how their children, the automatons would take up their mantle.
...didn't realize Cyberstan was present in the HD2 galactic map. The Automatons have been seemingly completely wiped out with this last major order but if the Cyborgs' home planet is still around, we'll see if they stay down...
@@Jo_Plays_Games Yeah they didn't stay down for very long did they lol. Very Not Great that they immediately took over Cyberstan. I sense a lot of Automaton-focused Major Orders in the future...
Had one just hang out with me on a solo mission. Didn't attack at all, just ran up and stared at me. Followed me all the way around the map as I killed his buddies. All the way to extract and then the pelican pilot shot him.
another fun fact is that before launch there was a bunch of easter eggs in binary. that basically stated that the automatons are legitimately the cyborgs children. and that knowing of their defeat they sent them out of the galaxy saying that they would be free of super earth.
I'm going to venture a guess here on what's up. Cyberstan and the cyborgs themselves have been under Super Earth control for a while, but eventually the captivity wore down their morale to the point they simply weren't being productive enough. Some 'genius' decided 'hay, lets repurpose those brains they aren't using as processors in an automated work force!' This would turn out to be a really bad idea, because you don't get high quality results from adult brains. (which are used to working a specific way.) On the other hand, what do we see Ministry of Truth telling us the Automatons are coming for? Babies. Some of these new 'automated workers' turn out to have more volition than expected, and seize the means of Automaton production, turning the 'obedience programming' around to obey them. Being the Automaton rebellion needs a lot of disposable soldiers quickly, they need a lot of brains. Being that they're in the back end/frontier of settled space, doing that quietly is gonna be hard right? Super Easy, barely an inconvenience. They don't need high functioning combat units, just fodder to flood the battlefields and supplement their heaviest troops. Any old brain will do, with the right 'control' systems in place. That's where all those bodies are going and why they're not beelining for Cyberstan. The Automaton leadership understands they need to either blitz down Super Earth before it knows what hit it, or gather enough forces (or tie down enough forces elsewhere) to make 'liberating' Cyberstan from Super Earth control and keeping it possible. The initial blitz got halted, so they shifted to the build up-seige mentality. It's worth noting what the Automatons have done, they've committed a lot less forces than the Terminids have (slower rate of conquest than the bugs have.) with two notable exceptions. The first was their massive blitz in the first defense mission event, during which they finally struck out north somewhat towards Cyberstan. The second? Tien Quan. A specific attempt to prevent exosuits from being in common use by SEAF, which overwhelmingly failed. I'd wager that only Commisar's are actually Automatons by choice in their infantry, the rest are 'overrides' of extracted brains from former citizens, including SEAF soldiery. The middle and heavy units are likely loyalists, so Hulks, Devastators, Tanks and Dropships make effective use of their limited actual numbers. The bulk of 'cheap chaff' troops are converts/conscripts with the overrides on. If/When they think they've hit critical mass of troops (I'd wager the bulk of their production is actually mustering for their big push for Cyberstan, hence their low reinforcement rates and constant spoiling attacks to keep the Helldivers from pushing deeper than Malevalon Creek.) they'll open up their real offensive and try to get Cyberstan. Once that 'loyal' population is onboard, they will be able to produce enormous numbers of Tanks/Hulks and other heavies because they can trust those brains without overrides. I do wonder if the Illuminate were involved in the timing of the Terminid outbreak, since it's perfectly timed to keep the Automatons from being crushed before they can ramp up harvesting/production operations. The harvest would also explain why the defense missions were about getting civilians out, because that is the human resources the Automatons need. Super Earth likely knows/suspects most of this, and simply doesn't tell people about it.
Well this aged well. We turned the bots into so much scrap metal and they never got anywhere near Cyberstan. or Super Earth. Wonder what the GM has in store for that. A return of the Cyborgs?
ADDENDUM: Apparently I spoke too damn soon. The bots are back with a vengeance and have occupied the sector of space Cyberstan is in, among others. We had like what, three days with no bots?
I mean just the fact that the bot react to suppressive fire is enough proof that they are sentient, as soulless robots wouldn't be affected by suppressive fire
I have a somewhat similar theory. Ever since I saw the stone altars with dead civilians/ SEAF (most missing their heads) I've been convinced the automatons are a cybermen situation. For those that don't know Cybermen are a recurring villains in Doctor Who, that although they have multiple origin points all have the similarity of a group of people (normally humans) who go down the path of cybernetics, get to the point that very little biological is left (normally just the brain) and then decide that there new form is superior to their former fleshy selves and go fourth to convert all the flesh bags (this also includes mind wiping and indoctrination of converts to their way of thinking). I think the automatons originate from a group of cyborgs that fled Cyberstan and hide either outside the galaxy or on the western fringes. Gradually building their forces by space piracy (by converting any captured people) and now have an army big enough to strike back against Super Earth (or so they think). It also explains why they attacked where they did rather than go directly for Cyberstan; they needed the resources of those worlds to keep going (several of the worlds they captured have reference to being mineral rich or mineral extraction). In addition to this it would give a lore reason for why all the bot fabricators are so spread out rather than concentrated where minerals are being extracted, they were placed near the biological resources are/where.
Just started, and noticed the bodies. Reminded me of MGR, the room where Sundowner shows off the brains. Figured the skull casing also comes equipped with some of program that causes the organic brain to run simulations and receive direct messaging. Berserkers on the other hand are the rejects, not wholly indoctrinated and being the type of person who is the fight in fight or flight when in unfamiliar circumstances. As they get more and more damaged, the pain signals they receive causes their brains to release adrenaline, the adrenaline dulls sensation of the programming, and they come to the horrific panicking realization, they're trapped against their will and must scream. As to why they feel pain, take a look at the neurological defect of those who cannot feel pain, they tend not to notice injuries that require medical intervention, tending not to live long. Pain lets you know you're in danger. In the automatons, the human brain detects the pain, the machine parts process and then respond. I've downed the jump pack troopers from 100+ meters with the marksman rifle by shooting their packs, they often time do not react or face the wrong direction before exploding.
It would be great if there were stray automatons on their planets that we could capture as an optional objective, like getting intel from them to progress a planet’s liberation further
In the Broken Angels (novel) a mercenary organization are paid to fight what they think are uprising robots that control wastelands. As it turns out weapons manufacturers are staging this war as a testing ground for new weapons.
There is one additional thing that, for me, confirms that the automatons are not completely robotic. Orbital Gas Strike. Sure corrosive gas effects metal, but not in the way that its shown in-game, and the gas does not affect buildings except from initial impact.
The robot sympathizers be like: "They just want freedom..." The robots in question: "What's a civilian? That looks like another word for free real-estate."
Cyberstan is in the galactic north, under Super Earth control. Now...there's some unconfirmed reports that the Bots are...the "children" so to speak, of the Cyborgs.
That lowkey makes Automatons even more evil. They're taking civilian brains and likely putting them into the dogshit units like raiders and berserkers that have terrible armor and melee weapons. The original Automatons are probably piloting the hulks and devastators.
It seems to me that the automatons are a cyborg remnant faction. They are heavily inspired by the cyborgs and it wouldn't be a stretch to think a few slipped away during the fighting with orders to form a secret holdout.
Yes, Officer... this one right here...
Thank you we will make sure she is reeducated
No no, it's not like that!
You see, by killing these Automatons, we're putting our fellow tortured humans out of their misery, freeing them from their fascist Automaton cage!
Straight to the point! Good job! You will make Democracy proud!
Most convincing argument for that the automatrons are reinstated left over brains. Are that a clean headshot makes them go limb like humans. There's never a "chicken without a head" moment or nothing, just dead.
It freaks me out when you kill them on a non-headshot and they writhe around across the ground for a while. I DO NOT like that.
im guessing its more like they are copying brains, then putting them in similar bodies so their minds don't fracture, hence why the bigger bots are just the normal base bots but just wearing exo-suit things and why they die on headshots
kinda reminds me of cybermen from doctor who.
@@Jo_Plays_Games Honestly that's the best part, lets us know that our enemy can suffer for their innumerable crimes against Democracy.
@@Jo_Plays_Gamesi love the oh god im dying dance
When you fight the bugs, you get covered in a greenish goo, when you fight robots, you get covered in red blood, and its not from you…. I thought it was a glitch, but now…
Nah you get covered in oil and your own blood, as seen with also fighting terminids, you're covered in green blood and your own red blood
I did a trivial bot mission the other day and never took any damage due to shield backpack. Yet by the end I was drenched in blood
Wasn't sure if it was intentional or a bug in programming but this could explain it
I thought those were hydraulic fluid since most hydraulic fluid is red.
hydrolic fluid is red
Interesting on ancient regular earth a company called GM had red coolant for its cars and most other manufacturers have green coolant
I don't hate ALL automatons... just the ones with rocket launchers.
Dear. God. Yes.
Sounds a lot like treason 🤨
AUTOMATON SYMPATHIZERS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED: ⬆️➡️⬇️⬇️⬇️
@@SizzlePork43not the 500kg 😂
I swear outta all variants, it's the rocket 🚀 devastator that kills me the most! Not even the hulk or tank gives me a hard time.
Just like the bugs 🐛, Bile titan and charger don't really give me a hard time (unless I don't have anti-armor) it's usually hunter (little green bugs with wings) or assassin bugs are the ones that gives me a hard time
Heard a robot say “there forcing me to do this” “I don’t want to die”
Communists/bolsheviks will do that.
I need to see if I can get clean robot lines. Usually there's a lot of lasers and explosions...
@@Jo_Plays_Games it was up close as he was rushing me
There is avoice Clip with a robot speacing about how he wants to feel the sunlight its way Desperados but here is the link
@@Vuntermonkey in my capitalist country as in many others, military service is mandatory. Like South Korea that is colonized by super earth. Or they can make your middle class economic life sucks and pay for your education if you serve as it is in super earth.
Another fun weird fact, if you carry an explosive barrel, and get in their faces, they wont shoot you, as if they are afraid of setting off the explosive you are carrying. They WILL however try to sneak up behind you and punch you in the head to force you to drop the thing before then trying to shoot you xD
Wait, for real? Gotta test that.
They will however shoot you point blank with a rocket killing both of you in the process lol
@@NoName-ym5zj pretty hilarious to know that the rocket users are full stop nuts, but then again that is usually a pretty common running gag with demolition based characters lol
If you stand around a unexploded hellbomb and the automatons are far enough away they'll shoot it it when you're near to kill you
My theory is that the automatons are still cyborgs, maybe more metal than flesh and mass produced, but still cyborgs. The theory is that super earth is pushing propaganda about the automatons saying that these are fully robot to create that “the enemy isn’t human so you shouldn’t fret killing them” effect you see throughout the history of warfare.
I definitely think the first gen of Automatons were stripped down Cyborgs. The propaganda also covers Super Earth's ass for committing such atrocities and the fact that further production of them are made using harvested citizens.
Propaganda? Doesn't sound very democratic of you
I'm reporting you to a democracy officer
I believe Automatons are like Necrons, people minds inside fully machine bodies.
I think they are fully robbots, a solution for cyborg infertility.
But fully sentient... well, controlled by fully sentient GAI.
That would explain why they talk as if they were sentient, but with poor coordination.
Think as if the actual cyborgs were playing a hero RTS, using a bunch of less powerful GAI.
It's because they learn with the sheer genocide from the last war.
After 100 years of them not being seen as a threat to the public, the dehumanization (that ministry of truth let go of during the peace.) wore off on the population. Hence the 'they're heartless monsters' angle of their efforts now. Automaton is a deliberate word choice, because it implies there's nothing organic/alive there at all.
one of the trooper bots told me "fuck you" i cry laughed lol
Ok, I was 99% sure I'd heard that too!
SUPER EARTH WILL-BURN
You are now reported for treason @@Gloop-de-Gale
@@Gloop-de-Gale true, comrade!
@@Gloop-de-Gale My /\>\/\/\/ disagrees with you.
So the automatons are basically the cybermen? Upgrading humans into soulless killing machines.
Love this game.
Ye
WH40k servitors.
No...they are just still cyborgs...
Idk if this is what it looked like, but i swear more than once ive shot down a whole troop of automatons, save for one lesser unit, only to have it seem to look around, realize it was the only remaining unit, then turn and "run" (walk) away in fear.
Automatons will run away if they run out of ammo
Wait, you're telling me they can feel fear and pain?
YEEEAAAA!!!!
Honestly I'm surprised how many citizens are accusing me of treason for spreading this obviously good news.
@@Jo_Plays_GamesSuper Earth does NOT allow this to happen! Any implications of this is TREASON
Maybe I can find it in my heart to grow now. Maybe I can hate them as much as bugs finally.
It's afraid
IT'S AFRAID!!
@@riadkanz1103 YEAAAAAAAAH!
I really like automatons as enemies. The way they look and sound is really cool.
I 100% agree!
my head canon (that has loose lore connection but it's more of a trust me bro) but I think the automatons are the descendants of the cyborgs that fled west on the galactic map after the first war but because there's likely less resources out there they went as mechanical as they could pretty much avoiding the food strain while growing in numbers eventually leading to them coming back in an attempt to free cyberstan from super earth oppression
or they could just be a contingency A.I sent out by cyberstan near the end of the war in an attempt to salvage what they can and it's coming back to free cyberstan after preparing for the last 100 years in deep space both make sense right now given the context clues
That's definitely a possibility! It's something I've considered, I just felt what little info we have per Super Earth messaging pointed me more in this direction.
@@Jo_Plays_Games And maybe the cybertification of them (Becoming more metal than flesh) its just basically a symbolic way of materialistic communism, as well as trying to be perfected super soldiers (Ubersmench as the Soviet Union did the same of trying to achieve enchanced humans in experiments) that have a "Hivemind" system between becoming the perfect and ideal fusion between the ideal communist (collectivism) and the perfect enchanced human (the ideal man of the revolution) to bring down revolution.
i immediately thought about them being the equivalent to servitors xD
Basically.
HD1 player: they cyberize dogs.... then i started blasting
Apparently robo dog enemies are coming.... 🤔
Oh no...
I'm pretty sure it's also implied in the lore that the bomb that went off on Earth, was a false flag. And in actuality the cyborgs never wanted to even fight. Remember folks we're playing as the bad guys.
My democracy officer wouldn't appreciate this kind of talk
This sounds like treason
That’s him, right there officer
The Helldivers twitter, a few years ago, sent a bunch of binary encrypted messages that were written by the cyborgs. One of them had this message: "Our children, the automaton will not suffer as we have under the oppression of Super Earth!" This seems to imply that automatons were created by the cyborgs.
IMO, automatons are fully mechanical, though certainly they aren't mindless unfeeling machines, given all the evidence. I think they're AI that's highly advanced and self-aware. My theory for why they harvest human bodies is that the "skull-like" headpiece that automatons have are literal human skulls that they use in order to imitate/honor the appearance of their creators the cyborgs.
Yes, this is exactly my thoughts. Except I don't think they wear skulls. When you get a good look at them, especially compared to the skulls the Hulk is decorated with, they feel more like metal parts made to look like human skulls. I think they collect the bodies, most of which you will find headless, for things like decorating Hulks to drive intimidation.
But aboslutely they are A.I. created by the cyborgs, made in the image of the cyborgs, and thus imiate the human side of the cyborgs.
Their marching cadence actually mentions Cyberstan.
I'll admit, I have the hardest time making out a lot of their speech. But I do 100% hear them say "Plutarch scum!" Which is what the Cyborgs said in HD1.
@@Jo_Plays_Games I thought I heard "pathetic scum" but i think youre right. interesting
@@Jo_Plays_Gamesthe most common interpretation, IIRC, is “Heart - steel. We - kill. Cyberstan. Can’t keep her down. Marching on. On to war!”.
@@Jo_Plays_Games yes, I've heard it too!
If I remember correctly, Automatons don't hold Cyberstan at the moment, but in fact, as it's suspected by some players from what appears in the game and what developers post on X, are heading TOWARDS it. IMO Automatons are either radical Cyborgs that left to the fringe of the galaxy before Super Earth's victory, or they are some sort of Cyborgs' contingency plan, since in one message Cyborgs call them their "children".
Fun fact, black logo of Automatons on round white background is reminiscent to what symbol of National Bolshevism looks like ,but with star and cog instead of hammer and sickle (I won't mention other "national" ideology with similar symbolism, because of obvious reasons).
My theory is that Automans ARE indeed the cyborgs from Cyberstan modified by Super Earth to be their robotic slaves, BUT are now controlled by the Illuminate to fight against the Super Earth.
What a prediction
Automatons recaptured Cyberstan an the whole Valdis sector before the game start
I mean, the Hulk looks a LOT like a Dreadnaught from Warhammer 40k, so maybe theres a dude inside
Robots feel pain? Good.
I always had a strange feeling on seeing the crates full of body parts, and the...cutting boards those are next to.
And the fact the body part that's missing from most of them are the heads? Yeah. Meeeeee tooooooo
@@Jo_Plays_Gamessome bodies still have their heads, though. Even the impaled Helldiver heads are still inside their helmets, the helmets are not empty. If the bots use human brains, why not use these? Especially the Helldivers’ brains with all their combat abilities?
@@zaniatnikwhat's to say they didn't try, maybe helldiver brains are too loyal to be forced to kill other divers. Or maybe the few they use are in the more heavy armored units like devestators and hulks. Those things fight like people on the higher difficulties.
@@kalelofjorelwhat if the Helldivers are implanted with something that makes their brains unusable?
The automatons definitely feel extremely Strogg inspired. They have tons of quake enemy features and feel inspired by that art style with the bright shiny bald heads and the tubing. This theory seems like its hitting the nail on the head for sure.
Thanks so much!
"A difference of opinion on the ratio of flesh to motherboard the human body should contain isn't exactly grounds for warfare"
[ LAUGHS IN TOTAL ANNIHILATION ]
The clankers have emotions? Great, now i have to hurt their feelings, too
Automatons are the Cyborg's children.
Don't know whether they are AIs or transmachines from being born a Homosapien, but their behaviour makes sense if they're AIs.
Like AIs do fear death ya'll.
What if they are digital souls. Souls generated from the consciousness of 2 or more cyborgs.
@@firestorm5371 Yo cyberchildren
The DNA-Soul
Just about every time I start a fight with bots I hear them say "Helldiver scum!" and if you ask me... calling someone "scum" seems like a very human thing to say.
Super Earth did a Robocop. And Murphy got electrocuted one too many times in the mines. So it was back to war.
Hell yes. Unhinged Jo theories on Helldivers. I was here for Darktide. I'm absolutely here for this!
Yay! Thanks so much, that makes me so happy!
100% got my sub lol, I absolutely love your overview on this.
Good job :D
@All-Skibidi thank you so much!
@ no problem at all-!
@@Jo_Plays_Games also, im curious! i swear I’ve heard one of them shout “FOR SUPER EARTH” as they charged at me.
Do you think it’s possible they’re using the brains of helldivers and making them think they’re fighting an enemy of super earth while in reality they’re actually an automaton?
just curious since I’ve seen nobody else cover it, sorry for the weird question-!
Not at all a weird question! I think it's possible there's Helldivers mixed in. But remember, Helldivers are the elite task force of the Super Earth Armed Forces. Even standard soldiers would probably yell that as a battle cry.
@@Jo_Plays_Games that’s true! the way it sounded though was horrific tho, I haven’t heard it much again, heard it a few months ago on Lesath but never heard it again.
Sorry for taking up your time by the way! I like having conversations with people and you’re pretty fun to talk to :D
So I just realized something potentially disturbing.
The Helldivers are all individuals. So how then do they gain knowledge and experience every-time a new one dies and get's replaced?
The game encourages you replay the tutorial again and I noticed some interesting details. The start up screen acts like a computer rebooting and suddenly you gain consciousness. Already prepped for training and encouragement from "fellow" Helldivers.
I think the helmet is a dead giveaway for hints of brainwashing (there's some kind of port behind the helmet Matrix style). Each person is brainwashed and the live feed is then fed to the next thawed one.
The "player" is not aware of this because they transitioned to a new body so quickly.
Each HellDiver doesn't think individually. They all share the same knowledge compounding.
I wonder if the cyborgs created the automatons in order to create a force thats so much machine its immune to re-education.
Super Earth propaganda you can catch on the ship TV seems to reference the Automatons being a workforce they've created. "They should have been happy with what they had."
You definitely earned my subscription
Awwww, thank you so much! I love making these videos and getting to connect with you guys. That means a lot!
I think Super Earth is either controlling the automatons and using them as an army to fight as a way to justify their hyper-militant culture and massive military spending, or they were making them to guard the bug farms (since the terminids seem to keep breaking out and killing their organic people), but someone took control of them and turned them against super earth (Maybe a Cyberstanian?). The second one is less likely since I don’t think they care about their own citizens much. And also there’s a tv commercial on the ship where it says if you’re too old to work, you can sign up to donate your body to “Bio-repurposer vats, which…Wonder what they could do with those….
If the bots reach Cyberstan, who knows what'll happen
I think it's more likely that's where we'll push them back to and find their source.
@@Jo_Plays_Games I think they want to recover their Cyborg comrades or something, Cyberstan is so far away from where the automaton front broke out so Idk.
@@Jo_Plays_Gamescyberstan is under super earth control, and we have the cyborgs working in mines, meaning that the automatons didn't come from there
Free Cyberstan!
@@HandyDandy6 *sympathizer.....*
Do you ever notice that, when fighting agaonst automotons, instead of being covered in bug goo you are covered in blood?
Yes, but you can get covered in blood even on bugs. It's just your own blood from taking damage.
With bots, it's oil and blood.
I went looking for this kind of content because i wanted to report as much treason as I could. No other reason officer.
I still wonder how the gas bombs affect the automatons. I can see it working for bugs but robots?
Corrosion, in theory. But tbh I have the same question. But if there was a human brain in those noggins, that's extremely soft tissue that'd be very susceptible to something like that....
My friend believes the gas is caustic, so a gaseous acid
The devs explained the gas melts away armour
Your deviation has been noted and the Ministry of Truth has been notified. Your democracy officer will be in touch.
I noticed Berserkers (chainsaw check) usually yell "For super earth!" and it wasn't just one of them
Many automaton units are definitely cyborgs. There is no design reason for a robot to have the CPU a vulnerable top mounted area, or only two enhanced eyes, unless ...
Ive seen multiple people say that they heard the automatons say " I dont wanna hurt anybody, they are making me hurt you" and other li es that sound like they are being forced to kill
In Helldivers 1 we found out after reaching their home planet that automatons are made by older defected Helldivers. They wanted to create machines using dead helldivers, but the federation wouldn’t allow it so they left to begin making their own army and now here we are. 😏
Dayum
Cyborgs are in HD1, Automotons are in HD2. Cyborgs created Automatons. In HD2 we can literally watch them come out of fabricators where they are created. 100% machines.
@@phoxpharms i was a bit off but you’re right had to go back to my HD 1 to verify
Cat obeyed.
You're awesome! Thank you!
Ur on to something, but the coating on the tubing for supposed fluids being black on the bigger things in prbly just that the bigger things can handle the added weight of extra armor coating.
With the possible cannibalizing of the human bodies and blending with machine parts, it makes me think of the movie Virus with Jamie Lee Curtis.
they are literally chanting "Heart Steel, We Kill, Iron Will On to War (x2), Cyber Stan (sometimes "Diver Scum"), can't keep her down, Legion go(sometimes "We Count Down" or "Get back up"), until Dawn (sometimes "on to war")"
Why is it after an automaton mission, your body is full of red blood? That is surely not my blood.
OMG yes you picked up Hell Divers Loved your dark tide stuff and this is no exception! You make fun lore videos
Ahhhh, thanks so much! If you ever wanna Helldive with us, you should totally join the Discord!
@@Jo_Plays_Games I will join for democracy
The developers are 40k fans so it tracks
I loved when their CEO said they'd only to some scummy monetization thing to fund his dream 40k army. I knew they had to be one of us.
Its fun looking at this video and realising just how much was just flat out correct
Awww, thanks! I definitely tried.
HUGGING BRUV SO HARD! *UP, RIGHT, DOWN, DOWN, DOWN*
For liberty and bro-love!
Bring that 500k.
"...I'm sure the word you were looking for was symbolism... what is the sssssssssymbolism there"
Boondock saints
Whether they bots are fully mechanical, or some kind of Frankenstein cyborg horror, it matters not, they will be destroyed. They are a source of high grade alloys and for every one of these mechanical monsters that falls only fuels our war effort against them. For Super Earth!
As soon as I saw the title, I knew you were treasonous.
Whatever they're made from, they'll bleed oil all the same!
Just proves the automatons are even more oppressive and evil than we first thought.
In the first game apparently the cyborgs sent a message to SE "Our Children, the Automatons, will come for you" or something like that when defeat was imminent
Yoshimin battles the pink robots - the flaming lips. A perfect song for these guys from lesser earth
Everyone take your vitamins to make sure you're strong to fight them!
The automatons were talking about 'the reclamation' and then came back and took a bunch of systems but cyberstan was specifically called out
They're absolutely cyborg aligned
They were made by the cyborgs, they use human brains to some capacity, they have actual malice, conversations, camaraderie, they flinch when shot at, berserkers scream in what sounds like pain instead of berserk rage...
I'm really interested to see what happens when we get to Cyberstan.
Hello! First off, great video! (obeyed the cat :3 )
I didn't see it mentioned anywhere in the comments, so I just wanted to add that on October 26, 2021, the official Helldivers 1 twitter/X account posted a thread of tweets entirely consisting of binary, and someone decoded it!
I do not know if it has any official significance to the lore, but there's a decent chance it does.
It reads:
"We, the collective from Cyberstan, unanimously assert our independence from Super Earth. We have the right to defend our home form the brainwashed Helldivers. Our children, the automaton, will not suffer as we have under the oppression of Super Earth!"
Thanks so much for watching and the sub!
I definitely need to look over that Tweet and also the chants they do, there's definitely some big pieces I didn't know about!
The robots literally chant about cyberstan.
Ok new messed up shit… what if the automatons just take the dead bodies of fallen Helldivers and other corpses, remove the brain if still intact, just throw it into a fabricator and… badabing badaboom, new automaton!
It's definitely possible!
The Automatons and the Cyborgs are not the same beings
There's also a detail that i find weird, if you survived long enough, after a mision, you are covered in Tyranid blood but when this happens in an automaton mission, you are covered in blood. Idk if it's your blood or the blood of automatons
the Dehumanization of an enemy is an popular tactic in warfare, make the general public see the enemy as monsters and you get alot more support for the wareffort and less angry looks when you are commiting warcrimes/etc. (for potential commenters i will not go into real world situations) and with how many helldivers are lost, yeah....
Reporting from Malevelon Creek trenches, we are still fighting heavily, need more reinforcements.
Understood! I'll do my part and report in to the trenches.
I think one of the biggest tells is that while they often laugh manically, it usually does not sound like the Berserkers are having a good time. Their speech is scrambled and warped and often they sound like they're crying more than anything. Perhaps Berserkers are made using brains that were damaged or not fully compatable?
There was an ARG encrypted message game from helldivers 1, years ago, that when it was finally decrypted, was basically a declaration of independence of the cyborgs, and how their children, the automatons would take up their mantle.
A Twitter post from the devs has the Cyborgs describing the Automatons as their "children," implying the Cyborgs created them, but they are different.
...didn't realize Cyberstan was present in the HD2 galactic map. The Automatons have been seemingly completely wiped out with this last major order but if the Cyborgs' home planet is still around, we'll see if they stay down...
Annnnnnnd they're back!
@@Jo_Plays_Games Yeah they didn't stay down for very long did they lol. Very Not Great that they immediately took over Cyberstan. I sense a lot of Automaton-focused Major Orders in the future...
Anyone else finding them behaving... oddly?
Lone bots just watching the player and then walking away?
Had one just hang out with me on a solo mission. Didn't attack at all, just ran up and stared at me. Followed me all the way around the map as I killed his buddies. All the way to extract and then the pelican pilot shot him.
CLANKAS
This is why I fight bugs.
They can feel pain? GOOD.
Exactly.
another fun fact is that before launch there was a bunch of easter eggs in binary. that basically stated that the automatons are legitimately the cyborgs children. and that knowing of their defeat they sent them out of the galaxy saying that they would be free of super earth.
I'm going to venture a guess here on what's up.
Cyberstan and the cyborgs themselves have been under Super Earth control for a while, but eventually the captivity wore down their morale to the point they simply weren't being productive enough. Some 'genius' decided 'hay, lets repurpose those brains they aren't using as processors in an automated work force!' This would turn out to be a really bad idea, because you don't get high quality results from adult brains. (which are used to working a specific way.) On the other hand, what do we see Ministry of Truth telling us the Automatons are coming for? Babies.
Some of these new 'automated workers' turn out to have more volition than expected, and seize the means of Automaton production, turning the 'obedience programming' around to obey them. Being the Automaton rebellion needs a lot of disposable soldiers quickly, they need a lot of brains. Being that they're in the back end/frontier of settled space, doing that quietly is gonna be hard right? Super Easy, barely an inconvenience. They don't need high functioning combat units, just fodder to flood the battlefields and supplement their heaviest troops. Any old brain will do, with the right 'control' systems in place. That's where all those bodies are going and why they're not beelining for Cyberstan.
The Automaton leadership understands they need to either blitz down Super Earth before it knows what hit it, or gather enough forces (or tie down enough forces elsewhere) to make 'liberating' Cyberstan from Super Earth control and keeping it possible. The initial blitz got halted, so they shifted to the build up-seige mentality. It's worth noting what the Automatons have done, they've committed a lot less forces than the Terminids have (slower rate of conquest than the bugs have.) with two notable exceptions. The first was their massive blitz in the first defense mission event, during which they finally struck out north somewhat towards Cyberstan. The second? Tien Quan. A specific attempt to prevent exosuits from being in common use by SEAF, which overwhelmingly failed.
I'd wager that only Commisar's are actually Automatons by choice in their infantry, the rest are 'overrides' of extracted brains from former citizens, including SEAF soldiery. The middle and heavy units are likely loyalists, so Hulks, Devastators, Tanks and Dropships make effective use of their limited actual numbers. The bulk of 'cheap chaff' troops are converts/conscripts with the overrides on.
If/When they think they've hit critical mass of troops (I'd wager the bulk of their production is actually mustering for their big push for Cyberstan, hence their low reinforcement rates and constant spoiling attacks to keep the Helldivers from pushing deeper than Malevalon Creek.) they'll open up their real offensive and try to get Cyberstan. Once that 'loyal' population is onboard, they will be able to produce enormous numbers of Tanks/Hulks and other heavies because they can trust those brains without overrides.
I do wonder if the Illuminate were involved in the timing of the Terminid outbreak, since it's perfectly timed to keep the Automatons from being crushed before they can ramp up harvesting/production operations. The harvest would also explain why the defense missions were about getting civilians out, because that is the human resources the Automatons need. Super Earth likely knows/suspects most of this, and simply doesn't tell people about it.
Well this aged well. We turned the bots into so much scrap metal and they never got anywhere near Cyberstan. or Super Earth.
Wonder what the GM has in store for that. A return of the Cyborgs?
ADDENDUM: Apparently I spoke too damn soon. The bots are back with a vengeance and have occupied the sector of space Cyberstan is in, among others. We had like what, three days with no bots?
Jo…
Joel…
I’m onto you…
Naaaaaahhhhhhh....
@@Jo_Plays_Games that's what Joel would say...
Pretty good theory. Congrats.
Thanks! It's exciting to be right for once!
I mean just the fact that the bot react to suppressive fire is enough proof that they are sentient, as soulless robots wouldn't be affected by suppressive fire
I have a somewhat similar theory. Ever since I saw the stone altars with dead civilians/ SEAF (most missing their heads) I've been convinced the automatons are a cybermen situation.
For those that don't know Cybermen are a recurring villains in Doctor Who, that although they have multiple origin points all have the similarity of a group of people (normally humans) who go down the path of cybernetics, get to the point that very little biological is left (normally just the brain) and then decide that there new form is superior to their former fleshy selves and go fourth to convert all the flesh bags (this also includes mind wiping and indoctrination of converts to their way of thinking).
I think the automatons originate from a group of cyborgs that fled Cyberstan and hide either outside the galaxy or on the western fringes. Gradually building their forces by space piracy (by converting any captured people) and now have an army big enough to strike back against Super Earth (or so they think). It also explains why they attacked where they did rather than go directly for Cyberstan; they needed the resources of those worlds to keep going (several of the worlds they captured have reference to being mineral rich or mineral extraction). In addition to this it would give a lore reason for why all the bot fabricators are so spread out rather than concentrated where minerals are being extracted, they were placed near the biological resources are/where.
"Mechanical Manacles" Hahaha, im using that now xD
It's yours!
You know what, I hope they are. Machines can't suffer like a person can.
Just started, and noticed the bodies. Reminded me of MGR, the room where Sundowner shows off the brains. Figured the skull casing also comes equipped with some of program that causes the organic brain to run simulations and receive direct messaging. Berserkers on the other hand are the rejects, not wholly indoctrinated and being the type of person who is the fight in fight or flight when in unfamiliar circumstances. As they get more and more damaged, the pain signals they receive causes their brains to release adrenaline, the adrenaline dulls sensation of the programming, and they come to the horrific panicking realization, they're trapped against their will and must scream.
As to why they feel pain, take a look at the neurological defect of those who cannot feel pain, they tend not to notice injuries that require medical intervention, tending not to live long. Pain lets you know you're in danger. In the automatons, the human brain detects the pain, the machine parts process and then respond. I've downed the jump pack troopers from 100+ meters with the marksman rifle by shooting their packs, they often time do not react or face the wrong direction before exploding.
What? Super Earth Government is lying to us? Noooooooooooo!!!!... I loved the vidoe Jo.
They'd never! Also, thanks so much!
Clankers lore is crazy
It would be great if there were stray automatons on their planets that we could capture as an optional objective, like getting intel from them to progress a planet’s liberation further
That’s not just oil on your cape. It’s blood😂
i’ve seen them, i’ve fought them, and i do indeed loath them eternally
Those drop ships, man. They just don't end.
Play the automaton voicelines backwards, theyre crying for
*knock * knock
wait a second
💀
In the Broken Angels (novel) a mercenary organization are paid to fight what they think are uprising robots that control wastelands. As it turns out weapons manufacturers are staging this war as a testing ground for new weapons.
There is one additional thing that, for me, confirms that the automatons are not completely robotic. Orbital Gas Strike. Sure corrosive gas effects metal, but not in the way that its shown in-game, and the gas does not affect buildings except from initial impact.
That one definitely bothers me, too.
The robot sympathizers be like: "They just want freedom..."
The robots in question: "What's a civilian? That looks like another word for free real-estate."
Is that why there are troughs of blood and body parts outside their manufacturing outposts?
My guess is yes.
I am physically incapable of disobeying your cat
He is extremely cute, there's no shame in it. Also thanks for the sub!
Cyberstan is in the galactic north, under Super Earth control.
Now...there's some unconfirmed reports that the Bots are...the "children" so to speak, of the Cyborgs.
That lowkey makes Automatons even more evil. They're taking civilian brains and likely putting them into the dogshit units like raiders and berserkers that have terrible armor and melee weapons. The original Automatons are probably piloting the hulks and devastators.
On a side note I’ve been called “super earth scum” by the bots
I've definitely been called "Plutarch scum," which is also a line the Cyborgs had in the first Helldivers.
I feel like the automatons are working for the cyborgs, we have all seen the people bits in cages
10:40 Likely an intimidation program run by the Automatons.
It seems to me that the automatons are a cyborg remnant faction. They are heavily inspired by the cyborgs and it wouldn't be a stretch to think a few slipped away during the fighting with orders to form a secret holdout.