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

Helldivers 2 saw a dramatic resurgence on Steam following its major "Escalation of Freedom" update, bringing players back to the intense battles on Super Earth. Let's delve into the update's impact and the game's journey.

Helldivers 2's Player Count Soars

Escalation of Freedom Update Doubles Concurrent Players

The day after the Escalation of Freedom update launched, Helldivers 2's concurrent player count doubled. A steady average of 30,000 players leaped to a peak of 62,819 within 24 hours.

This resurgence is directly attributed to the update's significant additions: new enemies (Impaler and Rocket Tank), a challenging Super Helldive difficulty, larger and more rewarding outposts, fresh missions and objectives, anti-griefing measures, and various quality-of-life improvements. The launch of the Warbond battle pass on August 8th further bolsters player engagement.

Despite this positive surge, the update hasn't been without criticism. Many players cite increased difficulty due to weapon nerfs and enemy buffs as detracting from the gameplay experience. Reports of game-breaking bugs and crashes have also surfaced. While the game currently holds a "Mostly Positive" rating on Steam, this isn't the first time it's faced negative player feedback.

The Previous Dip in Player Numbers

Prior to the Escalation of Freedom update, Helldivers 2 maintained a healthy Steam community, averaging approximately 30,000 concurrent players daily (excluding PS5 players). This is a considerable number for a live-service game, yet significantly lower than its initial peak.

At its height, Helldivers 2 boasted hundreds of thousands of concurrent players on Steam, reaching a staggering 458,709. This popularity took a significant hit in May when Sony mandated linking Steam accounts to PlayStation Network, effectively locking out players from 177 countries without PSN access.

While Sony later reversed this decision, access remains restricted in those regions. Arrowhead Game Studios' CEO, Johan Pilestedt, has confirmed ongoing efforts to restore access, but the issue persists three months later. Further details on Pilestedt's statements and the subsequent player backlash following the game's delisting in numerous countries can be found in the linked article below.