Helldivers 2, the action-packed co-op shooter, is experiencing record-breaking concurrent player counts, which recently peaked at 411,359 on Steam. The game's popularity, however, is causing significant server issues leading to delayed rewards, matchmaking difficulties, and login problems. To combat these problems, the developers at Arrowhead Game Studios implemented a login queue, which, despite being a clear improvement over the previous system, has led to some players leaving their games running continuously to avoid being placed in the queue again – a trend discussed actively in the Helldivers community.

Developers have proposed an AFK timer as a potential solution to free up server space from inactive players. Arrowhead's Johan Pilestedt emphasized that resolving these issues isn't as simple as adding more servers, but rather optimizing backend code. Players can anticipate a new update, aimed at improving matchmaking and login times, to roll out soon for PC and PS5 platforms, though constant work will be required to address all problems fully. While the update won't fix everything, the studio is dedicated to iterative improvements.

For gamers looking to enjoy Helldivers 2 to its fullest, don't miss the game tips that can help you get acquainted with game mechanics not explicitly explained within the game itself.

Why are Helldivers 2 players leaving their game running, and what impact does it have?

Players are leaving their games running, sometimes overnight, to avoid the long login queue times due to server capacity issues. This leads to servers being filled with AFK players, exacerbating the problem by taking up server space and preventing active players from joining.

Helldivers 2 is the sequel to Helldivers, a top-down shooter developed by Arrowhead Game Studios that emphasizes teamwork and cooperative play. The original Helldivers was praised for its challenging gameplay and was released in 2015 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and later for PC. The sequel continues this tradition, offering players intense multiplayer sessions that demand strategic coordination and cooperation.