After a string of poorly received patches, a Helldivers 2 "experimental server" is being actively "worked on" at Arrowhead
But there'll need to be NDAs so nothing leaks
Helldivers 2's game director has finally confirmed that a test server is "being worked on" at Arrowhead. However, to prevent unreleased content from leaking online, it'll need some sort of NDA.
Test servers for Arrowhead's shooter have been discussed for a while. Back in May, Arrowhead confirmed that a Helldivers 2 test server was being actively discussed following a string of poorly received patches. Then, earlier this month, Arrowhead's new CEO said a Helldivers 2 test server was "on the wishlist," but stopped short of confirming that it was being actively worked on.
Now, we've finally got that confirmation from game director Johan Pilestedt. Yesterday, the Helldivers 2 director conducted a spontaneous Q&A session with Discord users and was asked whether the shooter was getting a test server. "Right, we will have an experimental server at some point. It's being worked on," Pilestedt responds.
"It will be a restricted group of active users, and [will have] some sort [of] NDA attached - we don't want spoilers for those that aren't testing," the Helldivers 2 game director adds. That's to be expected - Arrowhead doesn't want any upcoming content leaked online ahead of the announcement, but it's worth pointing out that data miners actively leak stuff for Helldivers 2 already.
The game director doesn't elaborate on what content would be featured in the Helldivers 2 test server, but it's not hard to guess. Weapons and enemies would likely be a major feature, and it's also possible that unreleased weather hazards like storms could also be present.
Elsewhere in the Discord Q&A, Pilestedt said that criticism of Helldivers 2 was perfectly valid of late, following a patch earlier this month that actively nerfed fire-based weapons, which players were absolutely loving up until then. "The worst thing would have been if we f**ked up and no one cared," Pilestedt added. So at least it's not all bad news, then.
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Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.