Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom Update Doubles Player Count After Downward Spiral

Helldivers 2 experienced a dramatic surge in Steam player numbers the day after its massive update brought Divers back to 'Super Earth'. Read on to learn more about the update and its impact on the game’s future.

Helldivers 2 Sees Player SurgeEscalation of Freedom Update Doubled Its Player Count

Just one day after the Escalation of Freedom update, Helldivers 2 has doubled its concurrent player count, soaring from a steady average of 30,000 to a 24-hour peak of 62,819.

The reasons for the Divers’ return to Helldivers 2 are unmistakable. The Escalation of Freedom update has entirely revamped the game with novel enemies like the Impaler and Rocket Tank, a formidable Super Helldive difficulty, and larger, more challenging outposts offering lucrative rewards. To top it off, players can enjoy new missions, objectives, anti-grief measures, and quality-of-life improvements.

Moreover, with the new Warbond, the game’s battle pass, launching this Thursday, August 8, there’s ample to keep players engaged. It’s no surprise that this update has ignited such a massive surge in popularity.

Despite the influx of players, Helldivers 2’s new update has faced a wave of adverse reviews. Many players complain about increased difficulty due to constant weapon nerfs and enemy buffs, claiming it detracts from the enjoyment of the game. Additionally, game-breaking bugs and crashes have been reported.

While the game currently maintains a "Mostly Positive" rating on Steam, this isn’t the first time it has faced negative backlash.

Why Did Its Player Count Dip?

Excluding PS5 players, Helldivers 2 has sustained a robust Steam community since July, averaging around 30,000 simultaneous players daily. This is already an impressive figure by any standard, as most live-service games barely even break the thousand-player mark. Yet, it is a significant drop from the game’s peak popularity during its first few months.

At its zenith, Helldivers 2 boasted hundreds of thousands of simultaneous Steam players, peaking at 458,709. This popularity took a dramatic hit when Sony mandated linking Steam accounts to PlayStation Network in May, alienating players from 177 countries without PSN access.

Despite Sony’s subsequent reversal, these regions remain locked out of Helldivers 2. Johan Pilestedt, Arrowhead Game Studios’ CEO, has confirmed ongoing efforts to restore access. However, three months later, the issue persists.

Check out the article below to learn more about Pilestedt’s statements on the issue and the player backlash that followed Helldivers 2’s delisting in numerous countries.