Helldivers 2's "Escalation of Freedom" Update Resurrects Player Base
Helldivers 2 saw a dramatic resurgence in players on Steam following its major "Escalation of Freedom" update. The update, which brought players back to "Super Earth," resulted in a doubling of concurrent players within 24 hours, jumping from an average of 30,000 to a peak of 62,819.
This player influx is attributed to the update's significant additions: new enemies (Impaler and Rocket Tank), a challenging "Super Helldive" difficulty, larger and more rewarding outposts, new missions and objectives, anti-grief measures, and quality-of-life improvements. The launch of the Warbond battle pass on August 8th further bolsters player engagement.
However, the update hasn't been without its criticism. Negative reviews cite increased difficulty stemming from weapon nerfs and enemy buffs, impacting the overall gameplay experience. Reports of game-breaking bugs and crashes further compound the issue. While the game maintains a "Mostly Positive" Steam rating, this isn't its first encounter with negative player feedback.
The initial player count decline was largely due to Sony's now-reversed mandate requiring Steam accounts to be linked to PlayStation Network (PSN). This action locked out players from 177 countries without PSN access in May. While Sony reversed the decision, access remains restricted for these regions. Arrowhead Game Studios CEO, Johan Pilestedt, confirmed ongoing efforts to restore access, but the issue persists three months later.
The game's consistent 30,000 average daily concurrent players on Steam (excluding PS5 players) since July is impressive for a live-service title. However, this pales in comparison to its initial peak of 458,709 concurrent players. The impact of the PSN linking issue significantly contributed to this drop. Further details on Pilestedt's statements and the resulting player backlash can be found in a related article.
