Why is Helldivers 2 having server capacity issues?

Helldivers 2 having server capacity issues is easily one of the biggest blemishes against what is otherwise a flawless and genuinely enjoyable co-op looter-shooter title. While the developers have deployed numerous updates to address the problems plaguing their latest offering, it's still far from ideal.

However, the server capacity issues aren't merely a result of a lack of technical polish, something that's genuinely rare in PlayStation exclusives. In fact, it seems Helldivers 2 has become a textbook example of being a "victim of its own success."

While the original Helldivers was a niche, cult classic, its sequel somehow managed to attract a much wider audience. And though developer Arrowhead Game Studios did anticipate a greater influx of players in the new title, it probably didn't think about the amount of traction the game would end up getting within just a few days of release.

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Exploring reasons for Helldivers 2's server capacity issues

The main reason Helldivers 2 is having server capacity issues is the sheer volume of players that jumped into the game at launch. It was way more than what Arrowhead Game Studios and even PlayStation could've anticipated. Additionally, the game being released simultaneously on the PS5 and PC with cross-play enabled didn't help much.

While Arrowhead Game Studios did make adjustments to this title's server capacity to allow more players to join a lobby and not have to wait in long queues, the situation is still far from ideal for a co-op game like Helldivers 2.

Games having such issues aren't anything new. This is especially true for multi-platform offerings. I distinctly remember having to wait in multiple hour-long queues back when Destiny 2 first arrived on Steam.

More recently, when Overwatch 2 arrived on that platform, it was plagued with constant server disconnects. Even games like Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League faced server issues despite its minuscule player counts.

Since its release, Helldivers 2 has received multiple post-launch updates that attempted to address the major problems many players were facing with the game. Moreover, the most recent hotfix seemed to have stabilized the servers, albeit at the cost of compromising the quickplay feature.

While it is a bummer that players have to face constant server issues in Helldiver 2, perhaps it's something that comes with the territory of live service games. Hopefully, Arrowhead Game Studios can address these issues in a timely manner because underneath all the connectivity and server capacity troubles, is an extremely fun co-op game.