Helldivers 2 Expands Online Play, Doubling Player Count

Helldivers 2 has seen a remarkable resurgence on Steam following its substantial "Escalation of Freedom" update, bringing players back to the intense battles on "Super Earth." This article delves into the update's impact and the game's fluctuating player base.

Helldivers 2 Player Count Soars

Escalation of Freedom Update: A Doubled Player Base

Within 24 hours of the Escalation of Freedom update's release, Helldivers 2's concurrent player count doubled. The average of 30,000 players surged to a peak of 62,819.

This dramatic increase is attributed to the update's comprehensive overhaul. New enemies (Impaler, Rocket Tank), a challenging Super Helldive difficulty, expanded outposts with enhanced rewards, new missions and objectives, anti-griefing measures, and quality-of-life improvements have revitalized the gameplay experience. The launch of the Warbond battle pass on August 8th further contributes to sustained player engagement.

Despite the positive player influx, the update hasn't been without criticism. Negative reviews cite increased difficulty stemming from weapon nerfs and enemy buffs, alongside reported game-breaking bugs and crashes. While the game maintains a "Mostly Positive" Steam rating, this isn't the first instance of negative player feedback.

The Previous Player Dip: A Closer Look

Prior to the update, Helldivers 2 enjoyed a stable Steam community, averaging 30,000 concurrent players daily – a significant number for a live-service game. However, this represented a considerable drop from its initial peak popularity.

At its launch, Helldivers 2 reached a staggering 458,709 concurrent Steam players. This success was significantly impacted by Sony's May mandate requiring Steam account linking to PlayStation Network, effectively locking out players in 177 countries lacking PSN access. Though Sony reversed this decision, the access issue persists for these regions three months later, as confirmed by Arrowhead Game Studios' CEO, Johan Pilestedt, who is working to resolve the situation. Further details on Pilestedt's statements and the subsequent player backlash can be found in a related article.