Summary
Helldivers 2is currently in the middle of a renaissance. After weeks of criticism,review bombings, and players abandoning ship, developer Arrowhead Studios appears to have got the message and has beengradually announcing upcoming buffsthat aregetting players back on board. Today was the day for the update to drop, and saying that players are excited would be an understatement.
It was pretty clear that the direction that Arrowhead was going in with Helldivers 2 was driving a significant number of players away, and that has been proven by the sheer number of players now returning to the game following these exciting buffs.On the game’s SteamDB charts, you’re able to see that Helldivers 2 managed to set a peak player count of 59,181 today, a number not seen since the game’sbotched Escalation of Freedom update.
In fact, yesterday’s peak player count for Helldivers 2 sat at 23,960 players, meaning the game’s player count on Steam almost tripled following the release of this new update. While the game will almost certainly never eclipse the peak player count it set at launch, that’s still an incredibly impressive number considering this update hasn’t really added anything in terms of new content. It’s just fixed existing stuff.
Helldivers 2 Players Are Returning In Droves After Latest Update
That’s just Steam too.In a Reddit thread celebrating the influx of returning players, a Helldivers 2 player called RedneckThinker shared data from the game’s companion app to reveal that the game’s total player count was actually 78,718. Taking into account that this is a random Tuesday night, and that the player count has the potential to rise even further once the weekend hits, it’s safe to say that Arrowhead is definitely making strides towards reviving the game’s player count.
Of course, these numbers will then gradually drop again, as is the nature of the live service beast. However, it seems as though Arrowhead has plenty of stuff up its sleeve, as alongside releasing a brand-new Warbond for players to work towards, we also have the impending invasion of the Illuminate. Territory in control of the alien faction wasbriefly marked on the Galactic Map a few weeks ago, so it’s clear Arrowhead is preparing for something.
In any case, these early numbers will definitely embolden Arrowhead in the weeks ahead, and hopefully send a message to the developer that players want the game to feel fun to play first and foremost. While more nerfs are inevitable, as said so by the game’s community manager, this latest round of buffs should keep people happy for a good while at least.
WHERE TO PLAY
Do you believe in freedom? Can you stand in the face of oppression – and defend the defenceless? Wage war for peace. Die for democracy.
Join forces with up to three friends and wreak havoc on an alien scourge threatening the safety of your home planet, Super Earth, in this multiplayer co-op shooter for PS5 and PC from Arrowhead Game Studios.
Step into the boots of the Helldivers, an elite class of soldiers whose mission is to spread peace, liberty and Managed Democracy using the biggest, baddest and most explosive tools in the galaxy.
Helldivers don’t go planet side without proper backup, but it’s up to you to decide how and when to call it in. Not only do you have a host of superpowered primary weapons and customizable loadouts, you also have the ability to call on stratagems during play.
Helldivers 2 features Arrowhead’s best cooperative gameplay yet. Collaboration will be vital: Teams will synergize on loadouts, strategize their approach for each mission and complete objectives together.1
Enlist in Super Earth’s premier military peacekeeping force today. We are heroes… we are legends… WE ARE HELLDIVERS.
