Helldivers 2‘s popularity seems to have settled at a steady point, as the game has now been in the market for over 2 months. Originally having launched with egregious server issues due to excessive player interest, the game is now in a much better place, or is it?
Arrowhead has ensured a healthy dose of support, with new Warbonds, enemy types, mechs, and soon, the Illuminate enemy race. However, online discussions show that there’s still a ways to go when it comes to fixing the numerous bugs in the game, and we don’t mean the Terminid variety.
Network Issues Render DoT Weapons Effectively Worthless
Under a recent X/Twitter post by Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt, a player requested that he look into the co-op shooter’s “kicking problem”, which basically means they found themselves getting frequently kicked from matches.
Whether this was a skill issue or not is unknown, but Pilestedt responded sarcastically, stating that he’ll get the team “crunching on a Friday night.” Another player replied to Pilestedt with a laundry list of bugs that required fixing, including a major one that only allows the host to damage enemies over time.
It’s assumed the DoT bug is related to network syncing issues. Because of this, weapons that cause damage over time are defunct for players who join a host’s game. So, if you join a friend’s game and use a flamethrower, it won’t have any DoT effects on the enemies.
Helldivers 2‘s Anti-cheat Software Kicks Up More Trouble
Another big bug surrounds the anti-cheat software Helldivers 2 uses on PC: nProtect GameGuard. This program is supposed to curb cheaters, but its kernel-level access means that it often recognizes RGB controllers for keyboards and mice as potential cheats.
This bug can make peripherals stop responding altogether in the game, basically making it unplayable. GameGuard’s deep-rooted access to the system has also raised issues for disabled players, false-flagging their assistive programs and blocking them from jumping into Helldivers 2.
Pilestedt responded to the bug manifesto, acknowledging the issues and promising to do better. “The team feels really bad about launching with such a bug. There still is a bit getting used to and stuff to learn when it comes to our ability to keep a cadence that we’d like to see in a LS game. We are improving,” said the Arrowhead CEO.
These problems show how tricky it can be to make live service games, and how much more challenging it is to maintain a successful one. Anti-cheat software is needed to keep things fair, but there’s clearly a lot that can go wrong with them. The same goes for the DoT bug, which reared its head with the recent Democratic Detonation Warbond.
It’s good that the developers know about these problems and are actively working to fix them. But to keep players happy, the communication needs to be consistent, and the fixes quick. The only bugs our brave Helldivers face should be the invasive Terminids.
