Tag: Helldivers 2

Defending itself, ‘Helldivers 2’ has won over Sony… but lost a lot of players

And now what? Do we keep playing like nothing happened? The normal reaction would be to say yes, but apparently, the community has decided that this issue is bigger than any victory in the game itself and that it’s better to put it on indefinite pause.

Not long ago we were all celebrating the victory of ‘Helldivers 2‘ over Sony together. Democracy had become a reality, players had power, that kind of thing. We clapped our hands with a successful expression. Yes, our game was still intact. And now what? Do we keep playing as if nothing happened? The normal reaction would be to say yes, but apparently, the community has decided that this is bigger than any victory of the game itself and that it is better to put it on indefinite pause.

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Good luck, Helldivers

In the end, every game has its moment of declining popularity, and in the case of ‘Helldivers 2’, it has coincided with review bombing and the victory against evil in real life. Right now, there are about 66,000 players on average playing at the same time, which is not bad at all… if it weren’t for the fact that it’s 65% less than last month. And usually, when a trend starts to gain strength, there is no one who can stop it.

What is the added problem? That without more players, the story will continue much slower. In the end, the game’s narrative requires reaching certain abnormally long numbers that can only be achieved in a large, immense, gargantuan community. Hundreds of thousands of players must row towards the same place at the same time. And they simply… are no longer there. They could lower the numbers, but it would be accepting defeat, and the current community might feel it’s time to jump ship. It’s not easy, to be honest: behind victory awaited another crossroads. Only this time, the enemy… is themselves. We’ll have to see what happens with the promised additional content!

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The Helldivers 2 studio wants to reduce the speed at which it releases patches

Helldivers 2 has a very fast pace with its updates, which is why its studio has decided to slow down their release rate a bit.

If there’s one thing that is undeniable, it’s that Helldivers 2 has a crazy update pace. With new content and balance changes happening all the time, many players are thrilled, but others feel like it’s going too fast. They think the game should have more breathing room. This is something that the studio itself has commented on.

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When a fan asked on the Helldivers 2 Discord when the next patch would be released, Twinbeard, the game’s Community Manager, replied with a succinct “when it’s ready.” Although it may sound very dry, he also added the reasons why this is the case. “We want to take more time with this patch and potentially with future patches, as we feel that the frequency of them has been a bit too high to be able to maintain the level of quality you deserve.”

In any case, this change of pace is not set in stone yet. In another Discord message, he said that “it’s something we have to try and see how it feels; we feel that a slower pace will benefit both us, you, and the game“. Therefore, the rhythm of new updates is still undecided, but we will be attentive to inform you about all the news regarding this matter.

Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.

Sony has had a good fiscal year, all thanks to Helldivers

Sony has had a good fiscal year, despite its stumbles and numerous problems, all thanks to a little game that no one expected anything from.

March and April are the months of financial results in the video game industry. While navigating through pdfs full of numbers is not the most fun thing in the world for most of the audience, there is usually information about how companies are doing. Something in which Sony is not an exception. Since they have released their latest financial results and drop details about what we should expect from PlayStation in the future.

The most important thing is that Sony has met its financial results for the year, although they fell short of their forecasts. They expected to sell 25 million units of PlayStation 5, but they ended up with around 21 million as of March 31, 2024. That puts them on the same trajectory as they had with PlayStation 4, which accumulated around 60 million units sold in the same period of its lifespan. The same number that PlayStation 5 has reached.

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Sales, in addition, have increased by 17% compared to the previous year, accumulating 4.26 trillion yen, around 240 million euros. Something that has increased thanks to non-Sony titles, downloadable content, and the impact of the weakness of the yen compared to the dollar and the euro. Something that has also been favored by the success of a game that no one expected anything from: Helldivers 2.

The Arrowhead game is currently the best-selling game at launch. Helldivers 2 has sold 12 million units in the first 10 weeks since its release. This has surpassed the previous best launch in PlayStation history, which happened last year, and it is God of War Ragnarok, which managed to sell 11 million copies. This demonstrates that the PC release, and particularly simultaneous releases, help boost their video game sales.

In fact, according to interim CEO Hiroki Totoki, their interest is to focus more on porting games from their catalog to PC. This is explained not only by the success of Helldivers 2, but also by the success that other Sony games have had throughout the year.

In addition, Sony has taken the opportunity to announce the CEOs who will replace Jim Ryan. Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino will be in charge of this position, serving as CEOs within the company. Despite these changes, Sony expects a slight decrease in revenue for fiscal year 2025, as they expect to sell fewer consoles and not release any games from their major franchises during this fiscal year. However, they still anticipate generating more revenue than in the previous two fiscal years.

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We already know who has paid the price for the chaos of ‘Helldivers 2’: their community manager

The players have found today that Arrowhead Studios’ usual CM, Spitz, was not on Discord nor responding to messages on Twitter. He himself confirmed his disappearance with a resounding and cryptic “Today is a dark day.”

Oh, community managers. Subject of the anger of an entire generation, revered by those who know they can solve their strangest problems, the bond of a whole community, essential in the day-to-day of any company. And, of course, the first ones to take the blame when there is a problem. Did you think that in the world of video games it would be different? Of course not.

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Hell broke loose

We already know everything that happened with ‘Helldivers 2’: the mandatory connection to PSN, the anger of the fans, the review bombing, and Sony backtracking. It seemed like the triumph of democracy, but today players have found that the usual CM of Arrowhead Studios, Spitz, was not on Discord nor answering messages on Twitter. He himself confirmed his disappearance with a loud and cryptic “Today is a dark day”.

He was aware that this could happen: he was the one who, on May 4th, wrote a plea on Discord for fans to give the game a bad rating under the excuse of giving them “more power in the discussion with Sony“. The motive was clear, and from a marketing point of view, it’s perfect: “We are on the players’ side in this fight”, he said at the time. The result was 150,000 negative reviews. And apparently, Sony has asked for his head.

“It turns out that telling people to do review-bombing and ask for refunds on a game is not a popular decision with the distributor,” he said in the aftermath of the victory, celebrating that he was still there by a hair’s breadth. It is still unknown whether Spitz has been relocated within the company, has resigned himself or has been kicked out, but for now, fans have requested his reinstatement. We’ll see if he has as much power as the social movement of last weekend.

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Everything you need to know about Polar Patriots, the new war bond in Helldivers 2.

A new war bond arrives in Helldivers 2, called “Polar Patriots,” promising us some new weapons and some slick armor.

Helldivers 2 had a bad weekend. With Sony’s announcement that having a PSN account would be mandatory to play and their subsequent backtrack, the game has suffered quite a bit. Especially in its Steam reviews. But now, recovering from that stumble, something much more positive is approaching: new game content.

A new warbond arrives in Helldivers 2, called Polar Patriots. Although it does not have an exact release time, based on the hours at which previous warbonds have been released, we can anticipate that it will be available between 10 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon on May 9th.

Although we don’t know the price either, previous war bonds have cost 1,000 Super Credits. Around 10 euros. And although you have to unlock its content by playing, unlike battle passes in other games, there is no deadline to unlock it. Once you buy it, it’s yours forever and you can progress at your own pace.

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This war bond will contain three new primary weapons, one secondary weapon, and three sets of arctic-inspired armors. Additionally, it will come with two new tools, one to minimize the effects of slowdowns and another that will produce fiery effects upon impact. Everything you need to bring super democracy to the coldest regions of our beloved galaxy.

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The drama of Helldivers 2, explained: why the game has sunk in one weekend

‘Helldivers 2’ goes on sale for PlayStation 5 and PC. It sells eight million units in just two months and hides a small secret among its legal notices: sooner or later it will require linking the account with PlayStation Network.

It has been the talk of the weekend: suddenly, ‘Helldivers 2’, one of the most beloved and admired games of 2024, has received so many negative reviews that it has been sunk into misery. The production company didn’t know what to do with the pressure from the public and in the end they agreed to refund the money to those who wanted it. A chaos, really, that was solely… Sony’s fault.

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February 8, 2024

‘Helldivers 2’ is released for PlayStation 5 and PC. It sells eight million units in just two months and hides a little secret among its legal notices: sooner or later, it will require linking the account with PlayStation Network. But that day had not yet arrived. Everything seemed happy on Arrowhead’s horizon, their studio.

May 3, 2024

Sony announces that, finally, the PC version will require users to link their Steam game with a PlayStation Network account. New users will have to do it on Monday, June 6th and those who were already playing on Tuesday, June 4th. The (apparent) reason was to “maintain the security values of PlayStation Studios games”. The criticism is starting to become fierce… And rightfully so.

May 4, 2024

The ‘Helldivers 2’ Steam page already has over 14,000 negative reviews, and counting. Players are furious not only because they have to give their data to Sony (which has already had some security slip-ups with their PSN accounts), but also because Steam has been forced to remove it from 177 countries where there is no option to connect it with PlayStation Network. In other words, it’s complete chaos.

Players feel hurt and deceived. At Arrowhead, they have no choice but to agree with them by deflecting blame and pointing fingers at Sony, who ultimately decided to deliver the bad news. A showdown between users and companies that was yet to determine who would come out on top.

May 6, 2024

At the last moment, Sony decides to backtrack stating that “the update will not proceed”. At least for now, stating that “they are still trying to figure out what is best for PC players”. And, as a user on Reddit says, “Here’s an idea: do nothing”. It’s too late, and the hangover is painful: right now, ‘Helldivers 2’ only has a 34% positive reviews in the last month, and it will have to recover little by little. If it can.

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Helldivers 2 has a new mission class, due to the return of the robots

Helldivers 2 never ceases to amaze us, and after the defeat of the robots, Super Democracy faces a new threat: even more robots.

Helldivers 2 is not a game that anyone expected much from. The first Helldivers was a game that performed very well in its time, but its sequel didn’t seem to be much in line with what is being done now. But thanks to a popular price, a carefully crafted marketing campaign, and astonishing attention to detail in everything it does, it has become one of the great games of the year.

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One of the big news this week has been the end of the robot threat in Helldivers 2. Thanks to a joint effort of all the players, they managed to expel them from the galaxy. Or at least that’s what it seemed for less than 48 hours. Because the robots are back, to the despair and enjoyment of the players.

Under the excuse that what was eliminated was nothing more than an advance party of the robots, now the robots have returned with previously unimaginable forces. This has resulted in a new type of mission: Evacuate High-Value Assets. In this type of mission, players will have to defend a position for a specific amount of time while a series of ships leave the planet. This translates into a classic wave mode, which this time has an extra layer of depth thanks to level design.

Like the scene from Helm’s Deep in The Lord of the Rings, the helldivers find themselves in a fortress where they must control a single entrance. In this way, with different doors and layers, players must know when to leave behind each of these layers, because enemies advance faster than they can eliminate them. This leads to a more stressful style of gameplay, but also tremendously rewarding.

In fact, as seen on Reddit, fans are excited. Delighted with this new game mode. And while it is true that it has been a hard blow for the Super Democracy that the robots attack so fiercely, we are confident that the soldiers will manage to repel the robots once again. At least, if the bugs stop taking advantage of the opportunity to continue heading towards Super Earth.

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The players of Helldivers 2 have just defeated the automatons

Helldivers players from around the world were able to successfully complete the task, which means a new enemy could be lurking.

Democracy has prevailed, as Helldivers 2 players have completely defeated the robotic forces and there is now only one true enemy threatening the superdemocracy.

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Just a couple of days ago, a new Major Order nicknamed “Operation Rapid Disassembly” arrived in Helldivers 2 and ordered the forces of Super Earth to eliminate the automatons once and for all.

Although some doubted that this was possible, Helldivers players from around the world were able to successfully complete the task, which means that a new enemy could be lurking.

Democracy has prevailed and the automatons have been defeated

This afternoon it has been formally announced that the Helldivers 2 automatons have been destroyed. When visiting the game map, all locations related to the automatons have been removed, which means that missions related to the robots are no longer available.

With the automatons annihilated, the war has now shifted its focus solely on the bugs (Terminids), which continue to threaten Superearth from the eastern front of the galaxy.

Although this decision to remove the automatons from Helldivers 2 may be a bit shocking, it is likely only being done to make way for a new enemy force. Since its release in February, Arrowhead Studios has continued to develop Helldivers 2 with a wide variety of weapons, missions, and enemy types.

The decision to remove the automatons from the game is the latest move of this kind that is probably not permanent, but has been made to advance the game’s storyline.

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The biggest mystery is when this new enemy could appear in Helldivers 2. For now, the latest Main Order of the game asks players to defeat the Terminids on three specific planets to help the farmers.

Most likely, this main order won’t last long and a new enemy could arise in the coming days.

Helldivers 2 is a great game, with one problem: its anti-cheat system

The anti-cheat system of Helldivers 2 is being controversial, but what we didn’t expect is that it would be problematic for people with disabilities.

Helldivers 2 is one of the most popular games of this year. No matter what other games come out during the rest of 2024, it is impossible for any amount of games to overshadow its success. It has performed great in sales, critics have praised it, and it doesn’t seem like interest in it will fade away in the near future. However, that doesn’t mean the game doesn’t have some flaws. Aspects that don’t excite the community as much. One of them, its anti-cheat system.

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For Helldivers 2 at Arrowhead Game Studios, the studio behind the game’s development, they have used an anti-cheat system called nProtect GameGuard. This is a system created by INCA, a South Korean company that has been offering computer security products since 2000. In addition to being the company that holds 70% of the security information in the stock market and 90% of the security portals for video games in Korea, it has a strong presence in China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

What is then the problem with nProtect GameGuard? It is a system that runs at kernel level, being particularly restrictive and capable of manipulating our computer at its core. Something that makes players feel insecure, as it is theoretically possible to manipulate their computer without their knowledge. But the most problematic thing is that this system is interfering with the ability to play, at all, for some people.

Steven Spohn, director of the charity organization AbleGamers that aims to bring video games to people with disabilities, recently commented on his Twitter that Helldivers 2 was impossible for him to play. Due to his disability, Spohn needs to use various programs and hardcore equipment to manipulate the game, something that the anti-cheat protocols of nProtect GameGuard identify as cheats. Due to their functioning, what they do is that, upon entering the game, they block Spohn’s assistive technology, making it impossible for him to play at all.

This is not something new for Spohn or other players with disabilities. Games like Escape from Tarkov or Fortnite often give false positives with assistive technology, which can lead to a ban on the accounts of the people who use them. This can usually be resolved by contacting technical support and explaining their case. It becomes more complex with a kernel-based anticheat like nProtect GameGuard.

The reason why it is more difficult is because if the system allows access to assistive technology, hackers could pass their cheats as assistive technology and bypass their traps. Something that makes the situation more complex, precisely because of the nature of the system.

In any case, this should not prevent people like Spohn, or other people with disabilities, from being able to play video games. It is unfair and not right. That is why, although the biggest fear of players with nProtect GameGuard is that by having kernel access they can take control of their computers, the problem lies more in how it is always the most vulnerable who pay the price.

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Helldivers 2 players, get ready for the release of a new enemy faction

In the original Helldivers, the Illuminate, also known as Squ’ith, were added as a post-launch update.

It is the game of this 2024, no discussion (well, there is some discussion because of Palworld). And players have nothing but good words for a game that, its biggest problem, has been the lack of servers to play online.

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After the release of the game (here our review), the community has already spread out fighting on two separate fronts in an effort to push back the enemy forces of the insect-like aliens known as the Terminids and the deadly robots called the Automatons.

And as if this wasn’t enough challenge, it seems that a third faction is sneaking into Helldivers 2, but it should be familiar to anyone who has played the original game.

According to GamesRadar, in the Helldivers 2 Reddit, several players claim to have encountered a mysterious blue laser shot fired by an unknown shooter with a trajectory that suggests a high vantage point, but when investigated there is no evidence of any attacker.

No known enemy in the game uses a weapon that shoots a blue laser, which makes the community suspect that The Enlightened are silently invading.

Who are The Illuminate in Helldivers?

The Illuminate, one of the main factions fighting for the galaxy in the original Helldivers, are a species of highly advanced aliens that use high-tech weapons and telekinesis to spread from one world to another in an effort to expand their neural network.

The developer Arrowhead Studios has not formally announced the arrival of the group to the sequel, but its existence has already been established.

In the game itself, it is said that The Illuminated are still active and seek to reestablish themselves as a great power, warning the Helldivers to keep their eyes wide open for any sign of these alien creatures.

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In the original Helldivers, the Illuminate, also known as Squ’ith, were added as a post-launch update and served as a reference to the Covenant from the Halo franchise.

In addition to their telekinetic powers, they also used energy barriers to protect themselves from gunfire, which was especially challenging. Fortunately, they are not blessed with a great deal of physical health, so once their defenses are broken, they crumble under sustained fire.