Helldivers 2: Update Aims for Revival
Authore: JackUpdate：Dec 12,2024
Helldivers 2 is experiencing player attrition and a declining player base. Read on to learn the reason for this downturn and Arrowhead’s future plans.
Helldivers 2 Loses 90% of Players in 5 MonthsHelldivers 2's Popularity Wanes Among Steam Users
Helldivers 2, Arrowhead's acclaimed alien shooter, achieved a remarkable feat as Playstation's fastest-selling game ever upon release. Despite this initial success, the game experienced a sharp decline on Steam, with player counts falling to roughly 10% of its peak concurrency of 458,709 players.
Helldivers 2 encountered a major problem due to a notorious PSN issue earlier this year, when Sony mandated PSN account registration for Steam purchases. This excluded players from 177 countries lacking PSN access. Affected players, including those who pre-ordered, were locked out, and even those who could register experienced negative consequences. Helldivers 2 received overwhelmingly negative reviews and player numbers plummeted. The impact was so severe the game was removed from sale in regions without PSN services.
By late May, Helldivers 2 had suffered a dramatic drop, with SteamDB showing a 64% decrease to 166,305 players. Currently, the 30-day average has fallen to approximately 41,860 concurrent players, a 90% reduction from its peak.
It’s crucial to remember these statistics only reflect the Steam player base; a significant portion of the community for the Sony-published game remains active on PS5. Nevertheless, the Steam version is thought to have constituted a majority of the player base.
Helldivers 2 Freedom's Flame Warbond is arriving on August 8
Arrowhead, in an effort to address current issues and respond to the dwindling player base and attract new players, has recently announced the upcoming release of Freedom’s Flame Warbond update on August 8, 2024. This new update will introduce new weapons, armor, and missions including the highly anticipated Airburst Rocket Launcher and two new capes and cards called Purifying Eclipse, which is a heartfelt tribute to the Liberation of Choepessa IV in the First Galactic War, and The Breach, a reminder of the final mission of the 361st Freedom’s Flame. These new additions are designed to maintain the game’s popularity and attract new players in an effort to revitalize the player base.
Helldivers 2 as a Live Service Game and Push for Content
Helldivers 2 exceeded all expectations during its launch by selling 12 million copies in just 2 weeks, outperforming God of War: Ragnarok. This is a significant accomplishment, but this isn't the ideal path for a live service model. Indeed, as a live service game, Arrowhead aims for Helldivers 2 to be a lasting success. Since there's no definitive ending, Arrowhead can continuously add new cosmetics, equipment, and content, thus creating a perpetual revenue stream.
Helldivers 2 remains a significant title in the co-op shooter genre despite some challenges. The dwindling player base underscores the need to address player concerns promptly. It will be fascinating to observe the game's future as it strives for more content and seeks to retain players' interest.
