Minor Places of Interest, usually called mPOIs by most players, are small locations scattered across expedition mission maps in Helldivers 2. They are easy to overlook, but in general they are one of the most reliable ways to find samples, supplies, and special loot during a mission.

These locations only appear on expedition-style missions with randomly generated maps. Fixed missions like Eradicate or Evacuation do not use the same system, so you will not see mPOIs there. They are also different from Galaxy Places of Interest, which exist on the galactic map and serve a different purpose.

Most experienced squads will check mPOIs whenever time and enemy pressure allow, because ignoring them often means leaving resources behind that could make later objectives harder.

How can you find Minor Places of Interest?
How do mPOIs appear on the map?

All mPOIs are drawn on the topographical minimap from the start, but recognizing them takes practice. The shapes used to represent terrain change depending on biome, lighting, and map generation quality, so an mPOI does not always look the same from mission to mission.

Usually, players rely on a mix of visual scanning and the compass rather than staring at the minimap alone.

What does the question mark on the compass mean?

When you are within about 60 meters of an undiscovered mPOI, the compass shows a question mark (“?”). This works the same way as a pinged location: it is bright when you face it directly and fades toward the edge of the compass.

Most players treat this as the main confirmation that something is worth checking nearby.

Does the Radar Station help?

Yes. Completing the Radar Station side objective highlights all points of interest on the map, including minor ones. On larger maps, this is often the fastest way to plan an efficient route instead of wandering.

Some players prioritize Radar Stations early for this reason, especially on sample-focused runs.

How do you know if an mPOI is already looted?

Once you discover an mPOI, its icon changes depending on whether valuable items are still there.

An unplundered icon means samples are still present.

A plundered icon means all samples have been collected.

Ammo, support weapons, and some supplies usually do not count for this change. One important exception is Rescue Pods. If a pod only contains currency or samples, the icon may stay unchanged even after looting. If it contains a support weapon and you pick it up, the icon will update normally.

This behavior is unique to Rescue Pods and often confuses newer players.

Are mPOIs guarded by enemies?

In general, yes, once difficulty increases.

On Challenging difficulty and above, enemies can spawn at most mPOIs. On Suicide Mission difficulty and higher, the locations may also include defensive structures such as barbed wire or turret emplacements.

Because of this, many squads decide on the fly whether an mPOI is worth the time and risk, especially when reinforcements are limited.

How do mPOIs work inside cities?

City and colony biomes follow slightly different rules.

Inside Super Earth colonies, all possible mPOI “tiles” are generated first, but they are only marked as mPOIs if there is actual loot present. For example, a shipping container area will only count if a lootable container is there.

This leads to very dense mPOI placement in cities. In some runs, several Rescue Pods can spawn within a short distance of each other because they require very little space.

Mega City and Metropolis biomes mostly follow normal rules. Their mPOI assets are tied directly to the mPOI and do not exist as empty scenery. Decorative bunkers can also appear, often below statues of saluting Helldivers.

What determines how many mPOIs spawn on a map?

The number of mPOIs varies a lot between missions.

Map size, terrain shape, biome type, main objectives, optional objectives, nests, and outposts all compete for space. If a map is crowded with objectives or has difficult terrain, there may be very few or even zero mPOIs.

On higher difficulties, this becomes more noticeable. For example, Super Helldive missions on icy glacier biomes often have almost no room for mPOIs due to water, ice, and steep terrain.

Large mPOIs like valleys also reduce the total count because they take up more surface area.

In contrast, a low-difficulty mission using mostly city tiles can theoretically spawn over twenty mPOIs if space allows. This is why city runs are popular for sample farming and currency collection, especially for players looking to stock up without relying on things like cheap helldivers 2 super credits.

Can the same mPOI appear more than once?

Usually, no.

Outside of cities and metropolises, most mPOI layouts can only appear once per mission. For example, there will only be one solar farm or one vehicle repair shop.

Some mPOIs have layout variants, which can coexist. Ground Stashes and damaged Hellbombs are exceptions and can appear multiple times, sometimes empty and sometimes stocked.

Each mPOI type also has a placement priority. The map generator tries to place certain types first, such as burial grounds or ground stashes, if the biome allows it.

What kind of special loot can mPOIs contain?

Most mPOIs include a special loot container.

Rescue Pods hold one item.

Cargo Containers hold two items.

Bunkers hold three items and may include extra supplies.

Special loot can include support weapons, Super Credits, requisition slips, medals, or rare samples. Rare samples found this way do not replace naturally spawned samples, so you can extract with more than the listed maximum.

How do Rescue Pods work?

Rescue Pods can be opened by holding the interact button for about one second. Your Helldiver performs a short salute animation.

Even before opening them, pods emit a visible signal beam and a pulsing sound. From far away, the beam actually appears taller, which makes distant pods easier to spot than nearby ones.

On Metropolis maps, extra Rescue Pods are sometimes tied to secondary objectives like Radar Stations.

How do you open bunkers and cargo containers?

Bunkers require two players to press the unlock button at the same time. This forces coordination and often slows solo exploration.

Cargo Containers can be opened with anything that deals enough explosive force. You do not need to hit the door specifically. Grenades, explosive weapons, support weapons, Exosuits, vehicles, and even Hellpods can open them.

Most squads carry at least one option that can breach containers so they do not miss loot.

Are all mPOIs worth visiting?

Not always.

Some mPOIs are empty or only contain basic supplies. Others can be dangerous time sinks if heavily guarded. In practice, most players prioritize mPOIs when they need samples, rare loot, or when moving between objectives anyway.

Knowing which mPOIs tend to pay off comes with experience, and squads usually develop their own rules about when to stop and when to move on.