After a string of poorly-received patches, Helldivers 2 dev confirms test servers are being discussed

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But Arrowhead won't say what the servers could feature

Helldivers 2 Polar Patriots Warbond helldivers standing in snow
(Image credit: Sony)

A Helldivers 2 dev has revealed there's talks of a "test server" for the shooter, in the wake of several panned updates to the game.

It's been a bit of rocky road for Helldivers 2 of late. Earlier this month saw the widely-hated PSN account linking mandate, which came with a boatload of negative review scores from players and Helldivers 2 being delisted from 170 digital storefronts around the world. Then Helldivers 2's own director admitted balance patches have gone too far in some instances, and a recent poll found 70% of players don't particularly like the latest Warbond.

In the wake of this turmoil, one Discord user asked an Arrowhead community manager if the developer was considering implementing a test server for Helldivers 2. The player in question said they'd love to test aspects like new guns and Stratagems before they went live, in an effort to better balance new features and make their debut smoother.

"Yes, there are!" community manager Twinbeard responded, confirming talks of a potential test server for Helldivers 2. "Can't say for sure what there will be or at what stage we're in regarding settings things up, but alternatives to that are being discussed, yes," the community manager further wrote.

Test servers can really help live service developers. Just look at Diablo 4 for a prime example: Blizzard introduced a test server for Season 4 features earlier this year, and now the new Diablo 4 season has debuted to glowing praise from players thanks to its loot changes and new boss fights. 

A test server like this would let Arrowhead get incredibly valuable feedback from players before features go live. This feedback could help avoid future problems, like we've just seen with the panned spawn rate changes being walked back by Arrowhead, in a pledge to prioritize and fix the issue. 

Helldivers 2 CEO wants the galactic war to last "forever" even if Arrowhead has to "sunset" the game in the far future and the devs have to make an AI game master.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

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.