Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Crimson Desert
  • Pokopia
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Starfield
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Don't miss these
Marathon Triage runner
FPS Games Marathon sold just 1.2 million copies with nearly 70% on Steam, analyst estimates
Best Ps5 games
Games Best PS5 games: The 25 greatest PlayStation 5 games in 2026, ranked
Macduff meeting a jester during a gameplay trailer for Crimson Desert.
Open World Games Crimson Desert hits a new Steam peak on its second weekend as Pearl Abyss removes AI art and improves controls
Helldivers 2 PS5 screenshot
Games The 25 best online games to play in 2026
Kliff fighting a Black Bear warrior in Crimson Desert
Open World Games Crimson Desert has made around $200 million on its 4 million copies sold, analyst estimates
Crimson Desert
RPGs Crimson Desert's Steam reviews recover as the game crosses 3 million copies sold 5 days post-launch
Horizon Hunters Gathering key art
Horizon New Horizon game announced: Horizon Hunters Gathering, a Monster Hunter-like co-op action game for PS5 and PC
Kora in Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Monster Hunter Monster Hunter Stories 3 hits a record player count on Steam for Capcom's cozier spin-off RPG series
Horizon Hunters Gathering screenshot showing the team of hunters assembling together
Co-op Games Horizon Hunters Gathering: Everything you need to know about Guerrilla's new co-op action game
Helldivers 2 intro man
Third Person Shooters All Helldivers 2 voice actors in the main cast and their roles
Helldivers 2 soldier with an explosion reflecting in their visor
Third Person Shooters As death threats derail Helldivers 2's wholesome D10 challenge, devs address “increasing hostility in the community”
A Helldivers 2 Cyborg cries out in despair
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 gives in, releases first roadmap for Machinery of Oppression: "This is just beginning"
Marathon destroyer runner shell using shield to block explosive
FPS Games Overwatch lead says using Steam player counts to dunk on Marathon is "big unemployed, maidenless behavior"
Death Stranding 2 PS5 screenshot
Action Games Death Stranding 2's PC player peak is better than both versions of the original game combined
Helldivers 2 soldier in intro animation with shocked expression
Third Person Shooters John Helldiver is Arrowhead canon thanks to Helldivers 2 players: "Named by the community"
  1. Games
  2. Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 quickly overtakes Destiny 2 and Starfield to become the biggest Steam launch from PlayStation or Xbox Studios

News
By Kaan Serin published 18 February 2024

Concurrent player peaks keep reaching new heights

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Helldivers 2
(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Waves of players are attempting to spread democracy and bash robots in co-op shooter Helldivers 2, catapulting the game to record-breaking success, as the sequel has now passed the concurrent PC player peaks of the biggest PlayStation or Xbox-owned releases.

Helldivers 2 previously became the biggest PlayStation Studios launch on Steam, beating God of War's concurrent player peak of 73,000 in just a single day. The shooter has now passed its own player peaks almost every single day since release and enjoys an all-time peak of 388, 754 players, according to estimates from Steam Database.

These updated numbers put Helldivers 2 out in front of smash hits such as GTA 5 and Monster Hunter World. The unexpected overperformance also probably validates PlayStation's newfound focus on courting PC players - and hopefully will lead to even more simultaneous PC and PS5 launches.

Article continues below
You may like
  • Death Stranding 2 PS5 screenshot Death Stranding 2's PC player peak is better than both versions of the original game combined
  • A Helldivers 2 Cyborg cries out in despair Helldivers 2 passes 150,000 players on Steam for the first time in months thanks to Cyborgs, who may be good guys
  • Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him Helldivers 2 players fail the game's "biggest" battle ever as the Cyborgs prepare for an "unjust counter-offensive"

Helldivers 2 has also reached the biggest PC player peak for a PlayStation-owned game, passing Destiny 2 - which technically falls outside of the PlayStation Studios umbrella - now sitting in second place with 316,000 players. Xbox's biggest launch on the platform - Starfield's impressive 330,000 number - has also been trumped.

Developer Arrowhead is "struggling to keep up" with such overwhelming demand, however, and recently had to limit the player cap to 450,000 to deal with a surge of aspiring Helldivers. Following in Palworld's large footsteps, the studio is starting a massive hiring spree to respond to the game's unexpected mega-success.

Have you gotten through the queue? Find out everything there is to know about all factions in Helldivers 2.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
PS5 PC Gaming Platforms PlayStation
Kaan Serin
Kaan Serin
Social Links Navigation
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.

Read more
Death Stranding 2 PS5 screenshot
Action Games Death Stranding 2's PC player peak is better than both versions of the original game combined
 
 
A Helldivers 2 Cyborg cries out in despair
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 passes 150,000 players on Steam for the first time in months thanks to Cyborgs, who may be good guys
 
 
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 players fail the game's "biggest" battle ever as the Cyborgs prepare for an "unjust counter-offensive"
 
 
Cropped Helldivers 2 art from the official 'Save Cyberstan' poster.
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 director on the game's "biggest" battle ever: "We don't know what will happen"
 
 
Helldivers 2 screenshot of two soldiers cheering in the desert
Third Person Shooters After Helldivers 2 boss teased chaos in upcoming update, new Illuminate structures appear in Super Earth media
 
 
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him
Third Person Shooters Completely "pancake" Automatons threatening democracy with "new heavy-hitting" Bastion Tank in Helldivers 2
 
 
Latest in Games
Animal Crossing characters look up at the moon
Animal Crossing Animal Crossing helped me process grief, and I'm not alone: "Visiting her island has brought me a lot of peace"
 
 
Slay the Spire 2 classes
Roguelike Games Slay the Spire 2 dev teases 3 new modes, including something "very competitive"
 
 
A character in Final Fantasy 14 wields dual swords
Final Fantasy FF14 lifts restrictions on gifting, allowing players to give others mounts, minions, and more
 
 
Slay the Spire 2 classes
Roguelike Games Slay the Spire 2 devs were caught off guard by 13,000 negative Steam review spike
 
 
A screenshot from the Pokemon Pokopia trailer shows Ditto transformed into a human.
Pokemon Pokemon Pokopia speedruns are already a thing, and they somehow don't use the cozy life sim's fastest ability
 
 
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Mii with green hair and a clown outfit sits watching himself on a TV screen, circus supplies surrounding him
Simulation Games Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream fans are using carrots and chip bags instead of official Switch styluses
 
 
Latest in News
Slay the Spire 2 classes
Roguelike Games Slay the Spire 2 dev teases 3 new modes, including something "very competitive"
 
 
Maul holding his lightsaber in Maul – Shadow Lord
Star Wars TV Shows Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord is officially renewed for season 2 before season 1 has even premiered
 
 
A character in Final Fantasy 14 wields dual swords
Final Fantasy FF14 lifts restrictions on gifting, allowing players to give others mounts, minions, and more
 
 
Slay the Spire 2 classes
Roguelike Games Slay the Spire 2 devs were caught off guard by 13,000 negative Steam review spike
 
 
A screenshot from the Pokemon Pokopia trailer shows Ditto transformed into a human.
Pokemon Pokemon Pokopia speedruns are already a thing, and they somehow don't use the cozy life sim's fastest ability
 
 
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Mii with green hair and a clown outfit sits watching himself on a TV screen, circus supplies surrounding him
Simulation Games Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream fans are using carrots and chip bags instead of official Switch styluses
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Slay the Spire 2 classes
    1
    Slay the Spire 2 dev teases 3 new modes: something "very competitive," one for players who don't "have the time" for "the Slay the Spire experience," and a new multiplayer setting
  2. 2
    Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord is officially renewed for season 2 before season 1 has even premiered
  3. 3
    Slay the Spire 2 devs were caught off guard by 13,000 negative Steam review spike: "It was much more extreme than any previous types of negative feedback"
  4. 4
    Pokemon Pokopia speedruns are already a thing, and they somehow don't use the cozy life sim's fastest ability
  5. 5
    Final Fantasy 14 lifts restrictions on gifting after 4 years, allowing players to give other fans of the MMO single-character mounts, minions, and more: "Finally"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...