The promising co-op shooter Helldivers 2 has just launched on Steam and PS5. However, the release is overshadowed by technical problems. A patch is supposed to provide relief.
What kind of game is this? Helldivers 2 is a co-op shooter set in a sci-fi environment where players can team up with up to 3 friends to instill democracy into nasty aliens. The title was one of our 10 most promising shooters for 2024 and was released on February 8, 2024, for PC and PS5.
On Steam, Helldivers 2 had an impressive start: Not only did the shooter attract up to 64,000 simultaneous players, but it also surpassed the mega-hit Palworld and currently ranks 2nd in the bestsellers on Steam in Germany (via SteamDB, as of 17:45).
However, the otherwise successful launch is threatened by server problems and crashes.
Among the enemies in Helldivers 2 is also the powerful Acid Titan:
Developers aim to improve with patch
What is the situation like with Helldivers 2? On Steam, the shooter currently holds a “mixed” rating: Only 53% of players recommend the game in its current state (as of 18:00).
Some players report constant crashes, matchmaking issues, and even the notorious blue screens. Others criticize the anti-cheat system and the cash shop in the game.
Colleagues from GamePro will also be providing a detailed review of the game.
How are the developers responding? Johan Pilestedt, the head of Arrowhead – the studio behind Helldivers – has already reached out to players on the official Discord server. They are “a bit in crisis mode,” it says there.
According to Pilestedt, the high volume of players at launch may have contributed to the technical problems – with the “many, many, many hours of testing,” these errors went unnoticed.
Initial attempts to fix the issues on the developer side have so far failed, according to the studio head. A patch will likely be required to resolve the issue. Pilestedt apologized for this and thanked the community for their patience.
In closing, Pilestedt wishes players an enjoyable time in the game – as soon as they can get in.
What can players do? Right now, the only option is likely to wait and see if the patch can resolve the issues. Those who purchased the game on Steam and have played for less than 2 hours can also consider a refund to potentially give Helldivers 2 another chance at a later date.
Pilestedt himself advises players to team up with other members of the community, as they can easily join friends’ games.
If you’ve already made it into the game but are ruthlessly going under, we have 5 tips here on how to improve in any shooter without training.
