Helldivers 2 servers at capacity, infinite loading screens, and failing to join or create a lobby are errors and issues no liberty-loving Helldiver wants to see. The surging popularity of the game is both great to see and a huge problem, as it means the servers are sometimes busted or totally full with Helldivers waiting to spread Managed Democracy. Arrowhead Games Studios has been diligent with patches, hotfixes, and server improvements, so things should be improving for Helldivers 2, but you might face some lingering issues. Here's a list of some of the major problems players are facing, along with some possible fixes and suggestions.
Helldivers 2 servers at capacity
If you're unable to log into Helldivers 2 and keep getting either the 10002038 or 10003001 error code, that means the servers are at capacity and you just have to wait on the log-in screen until a slot opens up. Be patient and leave the game running as it'll automatically attempt to log you in every 30 seconds.
One cause of long queue times was players leaving the game running while not actively playing as the game had no way of removing players for inactivity. However, as of February 22, a kick-for-inactivity function has been implemented, booting players to the start screen after being idle for 15 minutes.
Helldivers 2 stuck on ship/hellpod loading screen
Many players seem to be experiencing a repeated issue with getting stuck on infinite loading screens, whether it's the short ship cutscene that plays when you first log in, dropping into a mission with your hellpod, or just a plain black screen.
As of February 22, the team at Arrowhead Game Studios has released patch 1.000.11 that has "fixed [an] issue causing players to get stuck in the defrosting or in the ship intro cinematic", as per the Discord patch notes.
Hopefully this should alleviate some of the issues with the initial loading screens but it may still happen when dropping into a mission. This issue can actually be on your end if your connection is a bit choppy. I've seen several players on Steam forums and Reddit suggest that disconnecting your PC or console from the internet and quickly reconnecting can solve the issue.
Helldivers 2 server status / server issues
The Helldivers 2 servers have been somewhat infamous for being less than wholly reliable since the game's release, with errors on PS5 and PC alike, sometimes simultaneously, sometimes limited to one platform. Many of the problems below are actually variations on server issues that have manifested in different ways.
Regardless, if Helldivers 2 isn't working for you for some reason, we suggest checking the official Twitter page and Discord channel to see if broader server failures have been noted and if there's information given on when they'll be resolved. It's also worth noting that there is currently no Helldivers 2 downdetector page, despite people frequently looking for it, though it's possible one will be added soon.
For what it's worth, while Helldivers 2 has had a fair few server down errors since launch, to my knowledge server failures have never lasted more than 24 hours, with the team quick to resolve them ASAP. If you're suffering, it's likely it won't last for long.
Helldivers 2 Failed to Join Game Lobby / Failed to Create Lobby
If you're repeatedly getting pop-ups telling you you've failed to join or create a lobby, that's probably due to a server issue - one that has no definitive fixes at the time of writing. It's an issue that's been more prevalent on the Steam version of the game, but is by no means exclusive to it. Because it's a server issue, it ultimately means the problem is likely at the developers' end, and you'll have to wait for them to resolve it.
However, we've found that sometimes a bit of persistence can eventually get you into a lobby. If you're getting this issue while trying to join friends, try sending them an invite or getting them to send you one as joining can sometimes work one way but not the other. Similarly, try joining each other through the friends list by selecting your friend's name and choosing 'join squad'. As for quickplay, keep queuing up, especially on planets with low player counts, and you should eventually get into a stable lobby. Although you can always try Helldivers 2 solo.
Helldivers 2 crashing
If the game is crashing a lot, there are a few potential causes, depending on your game and your platform. Here's some possible options that should work on either PS5 or PC.
- Disable Helldivers 2 crossplay in settings
- Turn off Anti-Aliasing
- Reduce graphical settings to prioritise performance
Then there are these PC specific options that some have reported as being successful, depending on the issue.
- Verify the Integrity of Game Files.
- Turn off any Third Party overlays.
- Disable Steam Input / Controller Input (some have reported issues)
- Make sure any virus protection software you have installed has Helldivers 2 whitelisted
- Though patches have been released to mitigate the issue, some have reported specific crashes and other performance issues when running Helldivers 2 on AMD Radeon 7000-Series GPUs. AMD has released the Adrenalin Edition 24.2.1 for Helldivers 2 installation package which should hopefully solve these issues.
- Go into "SteamLibrary / steamapps / common / Helldivers 2 / bin" in your PC and delete the folder "GameGuard", then run Helldivers 2 as an administrator.
Not Getting Medals, Rewards and XP after Mission
We actually wrote a dedicated page about Helldivers 2 not giving rewards after missions where you can find more information on the problem, but when this happens, players are told that they're rewarded for missions as normal, only to go back to the hub ship and discover that they don't have any of the Medals or Rewards they earned a moment ago.
Fortunately, the fix is simply to wait - again, this is a server error, but one that doesn't actually force you to have to redo anything. When it resolves, all the rewards you earned but didn't get will suddenly get added to your account, all added at once!
Failed to Establish Network Connection
If you're getting a message that says "Failed to Establish Network Connection" after the introductory cutscene, it's some sort of connection issue - unsurprisingly. Your first option should be to completely restart both your Router and your console - and we mean completely, turn them off and even unplug them at the wall to force a full reset.
Otherwise, many PC players have reported success using the following method, but we cannot confirm it for ourselves - as ever, take caution when entering commands into your computer in this way.
- Press Windows key and enter 'CMD'
- Right click Command Prompt and select "Run as Administrator"
- Enter these commands in order:
- netsh winsock reset
- netsh int ip reset all
- netsh winhttp reset proxy
- ipconfig /flushdns
- Restart your PC
- Try relaunching Helldivers 2
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