So Should You Play Helldivers 2 in 2025?
Alright, let’s cut to the chase. Should you play it? Absolutely! But can you play it? That’s a whole other story.
Thanks to Sony’s regional restrictions, many players were left out in the cold. Some even demanded refunds on Steam, and while they got their money back, they couldn’t buy the game again afterward. Thankfully, Sony eased up on those restrictions, and you no longer need to connect to PSN to play. So, if you held onto your copy, congrats—you dodged a democracy-blocking bullet. For those who didn’t, well, hopefully, the borders of freedom open up soon.
I’m one of the lucky ones who still has access, and let me tell you—it’s a blast! Despite being a team-focused game, you can always find comrades ready to spread freedom across alien worlds.
The Current Player Base
Right now, the game boasts a solid 70-80k active players. And we have to hand it to the devs—their updates keep things fresh. The latest major update introduced the Illuminate race, doubling the player count overnight. The game hit a peak of 200,000 concurrent players after that update. Sure, it didn’t break its all-time record of nearly half a million, but hey, given Sony’s rocky decisions, that’s still impressive!
Why Do People Love Helldivers 2?
What makes this game such a co-op masterpiece? Here’s my top six reasons:
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Non-toxic and unified community — No drama, just democracy!
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A vast arsenal of weapons — More gear than you can handle.
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Cinematic and spectacular scenes — Feel like you’re in an epic sci-fi movie.
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Active game support — Devs who actually listen? Yes, please.
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Non-intrusive microtransactions — No paywalls, just perks.
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Challenging high-difficulty levels — For those who like their freedom missions hardcore.
And, of course, let’s not forget the biggest reason: Democracy!
The Bugs
Now, let’s address the elephant—or rather, the bug—in the room. I’m not talking about those alien bugs you’re blasting on missions. I’m talking about game bugs. And yeah, there are quite a few. These aren’t just minor glitches you can patch out in a weekend. We’re talking engine-level bugs that have been around since launch.
That said, the devs are actively working on fixes, and the game has come a long way since release. Initially, balance issues with weapons and stratagems made things frustrating, but the updates have smoothed out the experience. Now, it’s much more enjoyable to take on those missions.
Gameplay and Mechanics
For those new to Helldivers, here’s a quick rundown: Helldivers 2 is a cooperative, mission-based game set in a sci-fi universe. You and up to three friends drop onto hostile planets, taking on waves of bugs, automatons, or Illuminates while completing missions. Missions vary based on difficulty, and there are now 10 difficulty levels (up from 9).
The harder the mission, the bigger the rewards. And what do you do with those rewards? You unlock new stratagems—essential tools for surviving and dominating in the field.
Weapons & Armor
The game’s weapon arsenal is massive. You can equip a primary, secondary, and additional weapon, with extra gear available through stratagems. Weapons are balanced well, so you’ll find something that suits your playstyle.
Now, about armor. There are three types: heavy, medium, and light. Each has its pros and cons:
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Heavy Armor: Great protection, slow movement.
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Light Armor: Fast movement, weaker protection.
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Medium Armor: Meh… kinda boring. It doesn’t offer a significant edge in battles.
Personally, I wish armor had more impact on gameplay. Right now, it feels like an afterthought compared to the weaponry.
Microtransactions & Battle Passes
Super credits are the in-game currency, and you can earn them through gameplay or buy them with real money. Thankfully, the game is pretty generous when it comes to farming super credits, so you don’t need to spend extra cash unless you want to speed things up.
My Experience
I recently came back to Helldivers 2 after a long break, and man, I’m glad I did! At the time of recording this video, my character is level 105, and the game is more fun than ever.
We’re all hoping that Xbox players will soon get to join us in our quest to spread democracy. The more, the merrier!
