Helldivers 2

Table of Contents

Helldivers 2 is a co-op third-person shooter developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Released in February 2024, it became a major commercial success on PlayStation 5 and PC, and was released on Xbox Series X|S in August 2025. 

Gameplay and mechanics

Helldivers 2 puts players in the role of an elite soldier whose mission is to protect "Super Earth" and spread "Managed Democracy" throughout a hostile galaxy. 

• Third-person combat: Players fight alien threats from a third-person perspective using a variety of weapons, armor, and stratagems, which include powerful orbital cannons and airstrikes.
• Co-op multiplayer: You can play with up to three friends. Teamwork is essential to success, as friendly fire is always on and requires careful coordination.
• Galactic War: Missions are part of a larger, ongoing "Galactic War." Players' collective efforts affect the game's evolving story and the outcome of the war, as they fight to liberate planets from factions like the Terminids (insect-like aliens) and Automatons (bloodthirsty robots).
• Difficulty: The game offers a wide range of difficulty levels, from casual to challenging "HELLDIVE" levels. The difficulty does not scale to the number of players, so playing with a full squad is more manageable at higher difficulties. 

Platform and crossplay

• Platforms: Helldivers 2 is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
• Crossplay: The game offers full crossplay support, so you can play with friends on PC, PS5, and Xbox regardless of your platform. You can find and add friends using a unique, in-game eight-digit Friend Code.
• Cross-progression: There is no cross-progression, so your progress and unlocked items are tied to the platform you earned them on. 

Recent updates and news

Since its launch, Helldivers 2 has continued to receive major content updates.

• "Into the Unjust" Update (September 2, 2025): This free update added new Terminid Hive Worlds, which are randomly generated cave systems with new enemies like the Rupture Spewers, Rupture Warriors, and Dragon Roaches. It also introduced a new paid Warbond called "Dust Devils".
• Halo: ODST Crossover (August 26, 2025): To coincide with the Xbox launch, a crossover Warbond with content inspired by Halo: ODST was released. It included new weapons and armor sets.
• Illuminate Invasion (May 2025): The third enemy faction, the Illuminate, officially invaded Super Earth's colonies. This story event added new Illuminate enemy types and missions to the Galactic War. 
  
  
  

Reception

Helldivers 2 was a major critical and commercial success in 2024, praised for its engaging gameplay, cooperative design, and satirical tone. It was nominated for and won several awards, including a Golden Joystick Award for Best Multiplayer Game. Players continue to praise the game's rewarding progression system, which is not over-reliant on the paid battle pass.