Helldivers 2, the newest cooperative shooter developed by Arrowhead Game Studios, has quickly become a remarkable success. Since its launch on February 8 for PS5 and PC, the game has outperformed renowned titles such as Grand Theft Auto V, Destiny 2, Starfield, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, achieving an all-time high in concurrent players on Steam. This surge in player activity has, however, led to ongoing server challenges, prompting developers to implement measures for stability. To counter these issues, Arrowhead Game Studios has decided to limit the number of concurrent players to approximately 450,000.
A report from Eurogamer confirmed that developers of Helldivers 2 had implemented a cap on concurrent player numbers. This announcement was made via the game’s Discord server, which has also halted new member invites.
A screenshot of the announcement was circulated on Sunday by the popular gaming news account Wario64 on X. In their message, the team acknowledged the server difficulties that players have experienced, stating they are “working around the clock” to find solutions. “Earlier tonight, we encountered server-related problems due to a spike in concurrent players,” the message indicated. It further explained that this influx had resulted in some mission payouts not being processed, players being returned to their ships, or experiencing logouts. “Consequently, we have had to cap our concurrent players at around 450,000 to enhance server stability. We remain committed to collaborating with our partners to increase this limit,” the announcement noted.
The development team recommended that players restart the game to resolve any progression issues they might be facing.
Helldivers 2 has surprised many with its unexpectedly high levels of player engagement since its launch. Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the game has resonated well with audiences across both PC and PS5 platforms, surpassing initial expectations. SteamDB charts currently rank Helldivers 2 as the sixth-most played game on Steam, with 186,205 concurrent players recorded at the time of this report. Its all-time peak concurrency has reached 409,367 players, ranking it as the 24th most played game in history on the platform, outperforming well-known titles like GTA V, Monster Hunter: World, Starfield, Counter-Strike, Destiny 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Halo: Infinite.
Earlier this month, Johan Pilestedt, CEO of Arrowhead and creative director of Helldivers 2, mentioned in a response on X that the game had surpassed one million copies sold, indicating that it is “blowing through the estimates.”
Helldivers 2 is a third-person multiplayer shooter that allows players to team up in groups of up to four in cooperative matches against formidable foes, including enormous alien creatures and cyborg adversaries.
