After the recent massive Omens of Tyranny update, chaotic co-op shooter Helldivers 2 has experienced a massive player count spike. This influx of players has made Helldivers 2 more popular than it has been since April.

At the start of 2024, Helldivers 2 was released to enormous acclaim from fans and critics alike. The game offered a unique brand of chaos that few other titles could match, and was a pleasant surprise to kick off the year. Its popularity was somewhat railroaded by the PSN account-linking controversy, which led to many players turning their back on the game, despite Arrowhead Game Studios continuing to release frequent content. As 2024 comes to a close, this all seems like ancient history now, with Helldivers 2 recently winning the award for Best Multiplayer Game at The Game Awards 2024.

As seen on SteamDB, Helldivers 2 currently has a 24-hour peak player count of 150,169 on Steam. While this remains some way off its all-time peak on the platform of 458,709, it is the highest number of players the game has seen since May - conveniently around the time the Helldivers 2 PSN account-linking controversy occurred. In recent months, the game has hovered around the 25,000 to 50,000-player mark on a regular basis. This is still a very healthy community for the live service game, but its current spike is an impressive improvement.

It's no secret why Helldivers 2 has suddenly seen a massive influx of returning players. During The Game Awards, Helldivers 2 shadow-dropped the massive Omens of Tyranny update, perhaps the biggest content drop for the game to date. It added the highly-anticipated Illuminate faction, which long-time Helldivers fans will recognize from the original game. It also included multiple new urban missions, as well as the Fast Recon Vehicle, to traverse maps. Overall, Omens of Tyranny essentially addressed many of the biggest complaints the fans had of Helldivers 2, which could be why players are giving it another chance.

While Omens of Tyranny is a fantastic addition to Helldivers 2, Arrowhead Game Studios has never rested on its laurels since the game's release. There is going to be plenty more content coming to the game in 2025, including one rumored Killzone crossover for Helldivers 2. Nothing is confirmed at this point though, so gamers will just have to wait patiently to see what the developer announces heading into the new year.

Posted: 3 hours, 4 minutes ago
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Source: https://gamerant.com/helldivers-2-illuminate-update-player-count-spike/