Helldivers 2 Achieves Impressive Milestone
Over the weekend, Helldivers 2, a third-person shooter game funded by Sony Group Corp. (NYSE: SONY), hit a remarkable milestone with 409,337 concurrent players on Valve’s Steam platform, propelling it to the fifth most popular game on the platform.
Noteworthy Success Amidst Challenges
Despite its $40 price tag, Helldivers 2’s achievement is particularly notable, especially when compared to the majority of the top five games that are free-to-play.
Journey Amidst Server Issues
Launched on Feb. 8, the game encountered server issues due to overwhelming demand, with 155,000 players in its opening weekend.
Improvements have been made since, resulting in a nearly threefold increase in players during a recent XP boost weekend. However, the game continues to grapple with network stability and connection issues.
Significance of the Success
Despite Palworld retaining the top paid title on Valve’s PC platform with 430,723 players over the weekend, Helldivers 2’s triumph is particularly impressive considering its higher price compared to the Pokémon-inspired game, Kotaku reported.
Unique Gameplay and Platform Collaboration
Inspired by the movie “Starship Troopers,” Helldivers 2 offers a satirical take on democracy in a futuristic setting where players battle against various enemies. It’s vital to note that the player count pertains to PC, excluding players on PS5, although crossplay is available between the two platforms.
Refreshing Honesty Amidst Financial Incentives
Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Johan Pilestedt recently advised players not to purchase the game until the server capacity is enhanced, displaying a gratifying level of candor on Twitter.
In response to a user expressing a desire to buy the game despite financial constraints, Pilestedt replied: “If you have no cash, get it later.”
He added, “While we made a really fun game, it’s worth waiting until the servers can support the capacity. I mean, as a CEO I of course want the game to be as profitable as possible, but if you spent your last $ and got stuck in server queues I’d be heartbroken.”
