In just 24 hours, Helldivers 2 overtakes God of War to become the biggest PlayStation Studios game launch on Steam
This is despite a launch with server and matchmaking issues
Helldivers 2 has overtaken God of War to become the biggest PlayStation Studios game launch on Steam.
The Arrowhead Game Studios-made shooter sequel just launched yesterday on February 8, but it already looks like a certified hit, on PC at least. According to SteamDB tracking info, Helldivers 2 has just peaked at 81,840 concurrent players worldwide yesterday, shortly after launch.
This means Helldivers 2 is now the biggest Steam launch ever for a PlayStation Studios-made game. The previous holder of this title was Sony Santa Monica's God of War, which obviously didn't launch simultaneously across PC and PlayStation consoles, but nonetheless managed a whopping 73,529 concurrent players at launch, according to SteamDB.
What's more, Helldivers 2's peak player count could even go up from here, considering the problems it faced yesterday at launch. Arrowhead Game Studios' CEO said the developer had been in "crisis mode" attempting to fix matchmaking and server problems, and servers were even fully taken offline at one point in an attempt to fix things.
It looks like things are back under control now for the Helldivers 2 servers, at least from the talk online. Perhaps more players could hop on the new shooter this weekend, now that all the problems yesterday around launch are finally ironed out.
It also probably helps that Helldivers 2 isn't retailing for a premium price point. It actually costs $34.99 across both PC and PS5, which has probably spurred a lot of potentially players into picking it up and giving it a try.
Check out our Helldivers 2 crossplay guide if you're wondering how to squad up with allies and fight the bug hordes on other platforms.
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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.