Helldivers 2 studio in 'crisis mode' as servers buckle under the weight of a popular launch, first hotfix out now

GamesActionHelldivers 2Helldivers 2 studio in ‘crisis mode’ as servers buckle under the weight of a popular launch, first hotfix out nowWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Arrowhead Games)

helldivers 2

Widespread reports of matchmaking issues and frequent crashes have dominated the conversation around Helldivers 2 so far. TheSteam pagesits at “Mixed” at the moment with over 5,300 reviews. The majority of negative reviews cite connectivity and crashes, though a few seem peeved that Helldivers 2 uses nProtect GameGaurd anticheat.

On the Helldivers Discord, developer Arrowhead Studios says it’s been in “crisis mode” as it works to patch things up. One hotfix has been released on Steam so far (PS5 will lag behind), which game director Mikael Eriksson said should “improve matchmaking and the most frequent crashes.”

My first crash happened right after the tutorial, as I made the ill-fated decision to equip a different helmet. The game didn’t much like that, but after a quick relaunch I was able to customize my helldiver without issue. Other players have reported crashes mid-mission on both PS5 and PC.

The bigger pain right now is the failed matchmaking. Helldivers 2 is a four-player co-op shooter and a hard one at that. You can play alone, but the game’s really designed around bringing buddies along or calling in SOS help from strangers. Since all of that’s still spotty, I’ve just been squashing bugs on my lonesome, placing SOS beacons that never get a response.

“We know there’s more to solve, and we’re working our way through it,” Eriksson wrote in a follow-up to players. “Nevertheless, we hope this rapid patch goes a long way to making your experience better.”

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