Helldivers 2 has now been on the market for over 2 months and continues to captivate thousands of gamers. Some players who usually only play PvP realized through the cooperative shooter that their gaming routine was not good for them. In contrast, Helldivers 2 has positively impacted their mental health.
What are players reporting? On Reddit, there is currently a post that has garnered over 10,100 upvotes and 1,000 comments and has received a lot of support. The post discusses the player “Chiquemund_Freud,” who reports that he has turned his back on battle royale shooters for Helldivers 2.
The decision to play Helldivers instead of Battle Royale has had a positive effect on his mental health: “Giving up battle royales for Helldivers was great for my mental health. […] Playing this game with its incredible community has positively changed the place of gaming in my life.”
Before Helldivers 2, it was unthinkable for him to just have fun while gaming. Now he has laughed more in two months than in four years of battle royales, and his partner has noticed it too.
My girlfriend even noticed it. Yesterday, she said out of the blue: ‘I’m glad you found Helldivers. I really like it when I hear that you’re having fun instead of complaining and whining all night and then coming downstairs all upset.’
A few months ago, it was unthinkable to just open a beer and have fun. I was always angry because I wasn’t good and got taken out by a teenager. Not anymore. I have made new friends, laughed more than in 4 years of BR [Battle Royale].
Reddit user Chiquemund_Freud via Reddit
Other players also say Helldivers 2 has helped them
The community shares similar experiences: In the comments of the post, there are numerous players reporting similar experiences.
Some of them played shooters like Warzone, Apex Legends, or Fortnite and only realized through Helldivers that these PvP games were taking away their enjoyment of gaming on a daily basis and making them angry. However, not only shooters but also other competitive titles like LoL and Dota are mentioned.
- thepipesarecall: “Helldivers helped me quit Warzone, which I have been playing since March 2020. It was only after I stopped playing that I realized how much the game affected my mental health.”
- Odd-Consequence9464: “I stopped playing PvP games (aka Dota, League, Overwatch, Apex) and only chilled with friends and played coop games. $40 for Helldivers was the best purchase I made in the last 2 years.”
- DevilApeEnji: “I have over 2,000 hours in Tarky [Note: Escape from Tarkov]. Most, if not all, were stressful […]. Since Helldivers, I haven’t even looked at the Tarky Reddit, let alone booted up the game.”
A 36-year-old family man adds that besides Helldivers 2, other games like Path of Exile can have a similar effect. The problem for him was competitive, team-based games.
What makes Helldivers 2 so special? Helldivers 2 has no PvP and that should remain the case. Johan Pilestedt, the head of the development studio behind Helldivers 2, said they do not want the toxicity associated with it in their game.
As PvP is completely absent, there is no frustration over a loss and no anger towards other players. Everyone fights together for the success of the Over-Earth and the annihilation of robots and bugs. Players can primarily negatively influence the experience in Helldivers through intentional griefing with team kills and a kick.
In general, players can simply sit back in Helldivers 2, choose the difficulty level that suits them, and have fun with their friends.
Even MeinMMO editor Dariusz enjoys Helldivers 2, although he usually plays PvP shooters like Rainbow Six: Siege and Valorant. On MeinMMO, he mentions 5 reasons that make Helldivers 2 so good.
