Summary
- Helldivers 2's player count has skyrocketed post-launch, hitting over 450,000 concurrent players on Steam.
- Unexpectedly epic moments like coordinated Eagle stratagems have fueled the game's viral fame and popularity.
- Despite some nerfs, Arrowhead Game Studios remains communicative and responsive to player feedback.
A team in Helldivers 2 accidentally coordinated an epic cinematic bombardment with their Eagle stratagems. Helldivers 2 has seen a meteoric rise in popularity since its release, very much due to word of mouth and the viral fame of moments such as this.
Arrowhead Game Studios' sequel launched to a very respectable 64,183 concurrent players on Steam, but that number pales in comparison to what it has achieved every week since. Helldivers 2 would go on to peak at 458,709 concurrent players, with the developers forced to consistently increase the server cap far beyond what they had anticipated. Even for live-service titles, it is expected to see player counts dip in the weeks after launch, as hype has died down and some people move on to other games. Yet, Helldivers 2 sales remain strong, and just how bombastic moments can be is no doubt a contributing factor.
The video captured by Jviper79 features a trio of Helldivers at their mission's end, a dozen seconds remaining before an extraction shuttle arrives. Considering how hectic and overwhelming these situations can become, so much so that some Helldivers 2 players have been getting kicked for not using meta loadouts, these three are well in control of the battlefield with only a Hulk and a few Troopers left in their way. With the extraction zone in need of clearing and an Eagle Cluster Bomb off cooldown, Jviper79 throws directly at the Hulk and dives for safety. Unbeknownst to them, both teammates also had Eagle stratagems available, which were thrown at the same time. Jviper79 tilts the camera up to see three Eagle Fighters streaking across the sky, two rounds of cluster bombs perfectly overlapping before an Eagle 500kg Bomb joins in to cause what one comment described as a Michael Bay action scene.
Helldivers 2 Developer Responds to Nerf Backlash
As powerful and mesmerizing as stratagems can be, the Helldivers 2 community has been more concerned with the Breaker, Shield Generator Backpack, and Railgun since a recent update brought nerfs to all three. However, that same patch buffed the Flamethrower, which is now proving to be useful against some of Helldivers 2's most intimidating foes. Arrowhead has been quite communicative with players, fully embracing the in-game rhetoric of coming together for "managed democracy" as it attempts to explain the reasoning behind such changes.
Outside the humor inherent in hyper-militaristic satire and parody, Helldivers 2 was by no means advertised as a comedic video game. However, unintentionally hilarious moments have become somewhat of a trend since release, simply as a product of emergent gameplay rather than anything intended to be funny, such as when one Helldiver messed up the placement of a stratagem and was blown to pieces.
Helldivers 2
- Released
- February 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
The Galaxy’s Last Line of Offence. Enlist in the Helldivers and join the fight for freedom across a hostile galaxy in a fast, frantic, and ferocious third-person shooter.
URGENT BROADCAST – SUPER EARTH ARMED FORCES
Freedom. Peace. Democracy. Your Super Earth-born rights. The key pillars of our civilization. Of our very existence. But the war rages on. And everything is once again under threat.
Join the greatest military force the galaxy has ever seen and make this a safe and free place to live.
BECOME A LEGEND
You will be assembled into squads of up to four Helldivers and assigned strategic missions. Watch each other’s back – friendly fire is an unfortunate certainty of war, but victory without teamwork is impossible.
LOADOUTS
Rain down freedom from above, sneak through enemy territory, or grit your teeth and charge head-first into the jaws of combat. How you deliver liberty is your choice; you’ll have access to a wide array of explosive firepower, life-saving armor and battle-changing stratagems… the jewel in every Helldiver’s arsenal.
REQUISITION
Super Earth recognises your hard work with valuable Requisition. Use it to access different rewards that benefit you, your squad, your destroyer ship and our overall war effort.
THREATS
Everything on every planet wants you dead. That’s what we’re dealing with. Each enemy has distinct and unpredictable characteristics, tactics, and behavior – but they all fight ferociously and without fear or morality.
THE GALACTIC WAR
Capturing enemy planets, defending against invasions, and completing missions will contribute to our overall effort. This war will be won or lost depending on the actions of everyone involved.
We stand together, or we fall apart.
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
- Franchise
- Helldivers
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
