Summary

  • Helldivers 2's latest update is seeing players return in droves, as the game's peak player count reached 59,181 on Steam post-update.
  • That's almost triple the number of players from the game's previous peak player count, and the Helldivers 2 companion app has the game's total player count at just shy of 80,000.
  • We've yet to see whether this new surge of players will have any momentum, but they're impressive numbers considering we're yet to hit the weekend.

Helldivers 2 is 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 been gradually announcing upcoming buffs that are getting 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 can see that Helldivers 2 managed to set a peak player count of 59,181 today, a number not seen since the game's botched 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 was briefly 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.

Helldivers 2 Like Follow Followed Third-Person Shooter Extraction Shooter Action Science Fiction Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 83/100 Critics Rec: 91% Released February 8, 2024 ESRB Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact Developer(s) Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing 6 Images Close
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

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. 

Genre(s) Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction Powered by Expand Collapse