(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)
Since hot-dropping on February 8, Helldivers 2 has quickly become one of 2024’s biggest PC and PS5 games. Arrowhead Game Studios’ intense co-op third-person shooter has attracted thousands of fans that are ready to do their part and live out their Starship Troopers fantasy by blasting hordes of Terminid aliens and Automaton robots to smithereens, and it’s breaking records for PlayStation Studios games on PC.
But as space marines worldwide fight to serve up piping hot mugs of liber-tea to these extra-terrestrial threats, a number of different bugs and launch issues have been reported by players as well as the developers of the game. Arrowhead is working hard to get these fixed as soon as possible, but in the meantime, we’ve put together an extensive list of each one below so you know what to look for while playing.
Notably, this list includes all known workarounds and instructions on how to fix the issue you’re having, if possible. Though these solutions aren’t guaranteed to work, they’re worth a shot, and many players have had success with them.
Helldivers 2 server status
The explosive launch of Helldivers 2 has put significant strain on the game’s servers, and as a result, many have encountered stability and connectivity issues while trying to play. Here, we’re tracking the status of the servers, and are also sharing the latest information from Arrowhead regarding server maintenance.
Is Helldivers 2 down?
Currently, Helldivers 2 is not down, so you should be able to jump into the game and play without too much trouble. You still may encounter some connectivity problems, but overall, the servers are in a relatively stable state at the moment.
When will Helldivers 2 servers be back up?
If the Helldivers 2 servers do end up going offline — either due to maintenance or because of another issue — you can expect them to come back up within a few hours. More serious problems may lead to longer outages, which we’ll keep you informed about if and when they occur.
Helldivers 2 failed to connect to server
You may run into this error while trying to get past the game’s main menu screen. In most cases, you can eventually connect by repeatedly retrying. If that doesn’t work, you can also try to close and restart the game, which has worked for many players.
Helldivers 2 maintenance update
Arrowhead most recently performed maintenance on Helldivers 2’s servers on February 12, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. PT / 12:30 p.m. ET for roughly an hour. This was live maintenance, meaning that the servers remained active while it was performed but players likely experienced an increased frequency of issues while the developers were working on them.
We’ll keep this section updated with the latest server maintenance news, but keep in mind that you can follow the official Helldivers 2 X (Twitter) account for live maintenance updates as well.
Helldivers 2: Known bugs, launch issues, and errors
Are you able to connect to the server and play, but still running into other problems? It’s very likely that we’ve recorded them here in this section, along with any known details about potential workarounds and fixes. If you don’t see the issue you’re having below, drop us a comment and we’ll add it to the list.
Helldivers 2 acquisitions not working
Occasionally, you may find that you’re unable to use the Warbonds you earn in missions to purchase things like new weapons and armor pieces from Helldivers 2’s Acquisition Center. At the moment, it’s unclear if this occurs due to server problems or something else, but closing and restarting the game or verifying the integrity of Helldivers 2’s game files on Steam are both effective workarounds to fix the issue.
Helldivers 2 no rewards after mission
It’s sometimes possible to not get any rewards after finishing a mission, even if you complete all your objectives and safely extract from the battlefield. This appears to be a rare, but frustrating issue with Helldivers 2’s networking, and if you encounter it, all you can really do is wait for improvements.
Notably, Arrowhead says it’s implemented fixes for this issue in Helldivers 2’s latest patch, but will continue to monitor the situation and make further improvements if necessary.
Helldivers 2 not getting XP
This is a variation of the previous issue that gives you earned currencies like Warbonds, Requisitions, and Samples after completing a mission, but not XP that you need to level up. Again, all signs point to this being a server problem, so you’ll have to wait until the developers fix this glitch.
Helldivers 2 failed to join game lobby
When trying to join someone’s game, you may run into this error message. To get around it, simply keep trying to connect. If this doesn’t work, closing and restarting the game should do the trick.
Helldivers 2 quickplay not working
Helldivers 2’s quickplay matchmaking in particular has been pretty spotty since the game’s launch, and often spits the “failed to join game lobby” error back at you when you try to queue into it. You can eventually get into a match by retrying to matchmake in quickplay, but the following workarounds can be used as well:
- Quickplay may work better if you go to a planet with fewer players on it than others.
- Join players directly, either through your Steam/PS5 friends list or Helldivers 2’s Friend Code system.
- PS5 players can turn on crossplay, launch a mission solo, and then throw an SOS beacon to allow PC players to connect.
Helldivers 2 crash on startup
Some players have reported that Helldivers 2 is instantly crashing after it’s launched. So far, the developers have put forth two workarounds for this problem:
- Select “Disable Steam Input” in Helldivers 2’s Properties > Controller menu in its Steam settings.
- If playing on Windows 11, enable Windows 8 compatibility mode for the Helldivers2.exe (found in the game’s files in the bin folder).
This is a rather infuriating bug that causes the game to sometimes crash when you’re extracting at the end of a mission. Sadly, there’s no known fix that ensures this won’t happen, so you’ll have to wait until Arrowhead patches the issue.
Helldivers 2 crash on AMD GPUs
There are widespread reports of significant Helldivers 2 performance issues for players using AMD Radeon 7000 GPUs. The developers are working with both the community and AMD to figure out what exactly is going wrong here, but in the meantime, you can improve the issue by turning down Helldivers 2’s settings and turning off screen space global illumination.
Helldivers 2 can’t launch
If you’re not able to launch Helldivers 2 at all, Arrowhead suggests trying one of the following workarounds:
- Update Microsoft Visual C++ files as admin, then run Helldivers 2 as admin
- Run Helldivers 2 as admin
- Remove Microsoft Visual C++ files from your system that released before 2012
- Ensure your firewall isn’t blocking Helldivers 2
- Disable your VPN, if you’re using one
- Disable the Steam overlay
The studio also says that this issue can happen — albeit quite rarely — due to the game’s GameGuard anti-cheat catching false positives. Arrowhead is currently working with the software’s seller to see what adjustments can be made, but in the meantime, try closing other programs when trying to play Helldivers 2. Notably, antivirus, fan cooling, and streaming video overlay programs all give GameGuard the most trouble, so make sure these are inactive.
Helldivers 2 is available now for $39.99 on both PS5 and PC, and so far, it’s one of the best PC games of the year. Notably, the game also supports cross-platform play between PS5 and PC.