Helldivers 2 has been a masterclass in making live service games fun, from handling balance patches to surprising players with unannounced updates

GamesCo OpHelldivers 2Helldivers 2 has been a masterclass in making live service games fun, from handling balance patches to surprising players with unannounced updatesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesCo OpHelldivers 2Helldivers 2 has been a masterclass in making live service games fun, from handling balance patches to surprising players with unannounced updatesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios) Helldivers 2started off exactly the way everyone should’ve expected it to: with server issues. Like many people, I figured it would struggle for a bit simply because it’s an online game and these things are like concrete in that they tend to be messy until they have time to set. What I didn’t expect was for the sequel to a fairly old, relatively niche twin-stick co-op shooter to become the new game of the moment, taking the baton fromPalworldin the 2024 marathon. All told, Helldivers 2’s breakneck launch has actually been pretty smooth. The measure of these is how they feel after a few days, not a few hours, though it’s hard to tell yourself that when you’ve just been blocked or disconnected for the millionth time while you’re trying to play with friends and defend Super Earth during your limited game time. However, the measure of live service games as a whole is how they feel after a month or so, and some five weeks from launch, it’s hard to think of a recent game that’s stuck the landing as cleanly as Helldivers 2. It’s not only made a compelling case for why itneedsto be a live service game, it’s also loudly proven, on the heels of games like WB’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League andUbisoft’s Skull and Bones, that live services can be extremely and uniquely fun. What makes Helldivers 2 fun (Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios) The best thing I can say about Helldivers 2 is that it reminds me of Risk of Rain 2. It’s become my friend group’s new pick-up-and-play hangout. It’s easy to learn, it is immediately fun, a group of any size can have a good time with it, every session is unpredictable, and most importantly, it doesn’t slow you down with any live service bullshit. You don’t have to rush to level 100 to play with friends. You don’t have to buy the premium season pass. You don’t have to min-max 50 numbers and memorize a glossary of jargon to make an effective build. There is no prologue, no homework, nothing to make you sheepishly assure your friends “it gets good after 20 hours.” Helldivers 2 is simultaneously a no-nonsense co-op shooter with tight gunplay and approachable mechanics as well as an engrossing live service game that will devour a lot of your time and reward you with compelling progression. Building the right loadout for each mission is extremely important, but also fast and easy. There’s no RNG carrot to chase, fractal skill trees, or affixes for +2.7% extra damage to bugs. Helldivers 2 works in big, digestible chunks with clear effects that are obvious in gameplay. Progression feels mostly horizontal, with more options added in naturally, but is almost secretly vertical in that you do unlock demonstrably better weapons and tools as you rank up. You can tell you’re getting stronger, not because a number told you so, but because the bugs and bots are dying faster. What keeps Helldivers 2 fun (Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios) Helldivers 2 is lightly monetized, only $40, and virtually free of FOMO. Its battle pass-style Warbonds don’t expire and you can easily earn enough currency to purchase the premium ones instead of breaking out the credit card. Even then, the premium buyables are pretty cheap and never meta-warping. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more (Image credit: Sony) I’m reminded of the unannounced Exotic missions that consistentlylight the Destiny 2 community on fire. This is where live service games are at their best – in their ability to catch players off guard and throw them down a rabbit hole using updates deployed without warning or fanfare. You can’t really get this experience in a traditional, one-and-done game. It’s the truest acid test for a live service: does this actually need to be live? Does this game being tethered to servers meaningfully enhance the day-to-day experience, which is not just the base gameplay, or does it primarily enhance the publisher’s ability to monetize over a longer period? Speaking of updates, Helldivers 2 negotiated its first major balance hiccup pretty cleanly, too. I’m going to pick on Destiny 2 again here, because thanks to its community, which I’ve followed closely for 10 years now, I recognized all the rhetoric flying around the Helldivers 2 community after the nerfs dropped. “Do the devs even play this game?” said the Angry Gamer. “I’d like to see them try high-difficulty missions on a livestream to prove that the game is well-balanced. My railgun can’t even shoot the cap off a bottle of soda now.” And on and on. Some complaints were justified, but the blowback was overly hasty for such a new game. The real problem was always elsewhere. The game just had too damn many heavily armored enemies on higher difficulties, and the first patch not only didn’t solve this pain point, it weakened some popular anti-heavy tools. (Image credit: Sony) Overall, the patch did make the weapon meta healthier, and in a follow-up update – which probably could’ve prevented some headache and moaning if announced sooner – Arrowhead toned down the armored enemies.Bam, problem solved. There’s a new Warbond out filled with moreenticing bot and bug killers too, and the game’s consequently playing better than ever. (Full rundown of theHelldivers 2 Cutting Edge Warbondhere.) Nerfs can be painful, but they can also beessential for the health of a game. All it takes is a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down – something Diablo 4, as a topical example,learned far more painfully after its first major patch and season. Even for folks who aren’t playing Helldivers 2 – and why the hell aren’t you – it should be encouraging to see a game like this find such success. As platforms like PlayStation invest in live services and publishers likeWarner Bros inexplicably double down on the thingsdespite flops like Suicide Squad, this is the kind of game I want them to cheat off of. Too often, these games are fundespitebeing live services, while Helldivers 2 is only as good as it is precisely because it’s a live experience. 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made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy 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forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”