Helldivers 2 lead thought it would bang, but not that hard: "We were prepared for having 150,000 players peak CCU"

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Arrowhead hadn't prepared for 800,000 divers trying to jump into the game at the same time

A Helldiver from Helldivers 2 stand proudly atop a pile of Terminids.
(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)

The Helldivers 2 team were always confident in the game they'd built, but they definitely weren't expecting it to become the juggernaut that it did.

Asked about whether they expected the surprise co-op shooter to become a legit GOTY contender - and in GameRadar's case, our best game of the year - game director Michael Eriksson recalls feeling bullish. "Yes, yeah we did," he told us. "Actually, when we hired our current COO Linda, she said in an interview, maybe two months before launch, something like 'what's your scenario planning for launch? Have you prepared for a major hit?' And I thought 'yes, we are prepared for having 150,000 players peak CCU.' That's way more than we thought."

Developer Arrowhead clearly had big aspirations for its shooter, which has a community of millions cosplaying as democracy-spreading fascists who 'liberate' bugs and bots, but even the studio's highest expectations were smashed. After a week, the game had apparently attracted over 800,000 concurrent players, leading to days-long queues.

"We had not prepared for that," Eriksson continued. "I think we really believed in the game a lot, but we were still underestimating just how much players would enjoy the game. So we were believers, but we were surprised and shocked by the reception."

What's even more impressive is how Helldivers 2, despite some controversies big and small, has managed to hold onto the spotlight for months in an era where live service games pretty much vanish into the aether in the blink of an eye. Just this week, the Helldivers 2 Omens of Tyranny update introduced almost everything players had been asking for - melee weapons, giant cities, cars, and the Illuminate's return - pulling in more than 150,000 concurrent players on Steam this weekend alone. So, the peaks are probably far from over.

Don’t miss a beat with our how to beat the Illuminate in Helldivers 2 guide. 

Kaan Serin
Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.