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Sourced analysis

HELLDIVERS 2

Arrowhead’s co-op shooter sends up to four soldiers to defend Super Earth.

PC PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X|S
Release dateFeb 8, 2024
Sourced analysis

HELLDIVERS 2: democracy by stratagem, a sourced analysis

HELLDIVERS 2 is a third-person co-op shooter in which up to four players fight a satirical galactic war. A summary of official information and two reviews of the PS5 version; this is not a hands-on TricknFix review.

Game trailer

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A co-operative galactic war

Developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, HELLDIVERS 2 launched on 8 February 2024 on PS5 and PC (Steam), then on 26 August 2025 on Xbox Series X|S. Where the first game was top-down, this sequel uses a third-person camera. In squads of up to four, players take on missions across hostile planets and call in “stratagems”: air strikes, heavy weapons and reinforcements dropped from orbit. Friendly fire is always on, and every player’s missions feed a shared galactic war.

What the press says

On PS5, Push Square (9/10) praises best-in-class gunplay, hilarious and cinematic action, phenomenal sound design and great DualSense haptics, and calls it a blast with friends, while noting matchmaking issues and rare crashes at launch. TheSixthAxis (8/10, PS5) likens it to a Starship Troopers game and enjoys its explosive excess, daft fun, challenge and fair progression, but says it loses much of its silliness without friends and suffered from too many matchmaking and crash bugs at launch. Both reviews date from February 2024 and do not cover later updates.

Editions and prices

Checked on 12 November 2026: the standard edition costs €39.99 on Steam, the PlayStation Store and the Xbox Store. The Super Citizen Edition, which adds an armour set, a cape, a weapon, the Stratagem Hero mini-game and a premium Warbond token, costs €59.99 on the PlayStation Store and the Xbox Store; Steam does not sell it as a full edition. The game is also included in PlayStation Plus Extra: that subscription price is not listed in the offers, nor are Super Credits (in-game currency) or the standalone upgrade. Physical editions were not checked. The game requires an online connection, plus PlayStation Plus on PS5 or Game Pass Core/Ultimate on Xbox.

Who is it for?

Players who enjoy demanding co-op shooters and satirical humour, especially if they can form a squad with friends.

Press average

The score block above shows the press average calculated from original reviews of the PS5 version, checked on 12 November 2026: Push Square 9/10 and TheSixthAxis 8/10. Each score is converted to /20 and averaged with equal weight. The PC and Xbox versions are not covered. This summary is not a hands-on review.

What to know

A funny, spectacular co-op shooter well liked by the press on PS5, though its launch was hit by matchmaking problems and crashes.

Strengths

  • Best-in-class gunplay, says Push Square.
  • Funny, spectacular action, say Push Square and TheSixthAxis.
  • Excellent sound design and DualSense use, says Push Square.
  • Plenty of challenge and fair progression, says TheSixthAxis.

Things to consider

  • Matchmaking issues at launch, say Push Square and TheSixthAxis.
  • Crashes at launch, say Push Square and TheSixthAxis.
  • Less fun without friends, says TheSixthAxis.

Sources and credits

Game gallery

5 images

Game details

Developer
Arrowhead Game Studios
Publisher
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release
Feb 8, 2024
Genres
Action
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