Helldivers 2 player count skyrockets as epic battles come to Super Earth

Over a year after its release, Helldivers 2 is seeing a huge resurgence in players as one of the primary enemies finally makes its way to Super Earth.

Helldivers 2 was released back in February 2024 to a huge amount of hype and support. In the same month, it reached a peak of almost half a million concurrent players on Steam, and that’s without adding in PlayStation players. However, just a year on, in February 2025, it had dropped to a peak player count of 96,000 players on Steam. In April, that was reduced even further to just 48,000.

Of course, a player count drop is expected, but a game rarely gets to see as big of a resurgence from a simple update or event as Helldivers 2. In fact, that 48,000 peak player count has been overshadowed by May’s peak of just under 163,000 concurrent players, all because of an epic battle.

Super Earth sees Helldivers 2 player count skyrocket

In a recent update, which took place on May 20, the Illuminate stormed Super Earth, bringing the battle to the game’s equivalent of (you guessed it) Earth.

During this, players are able to explore the planet they all came from, wiping out alien enemies in epic city fights, all while witnessing civilians fleeing in terror.

It seems that all the heightened chaos has fully resonated with the playerbase. Thousands who originally left the game behind have returned, with the player count practically tripling in just a few days.

Players have been tasked with saving Super Earth from the clutches of the Illuminate, fighting the alien threat to stop their home from being destroyed. Given a few leaks on social media, either route is a possibility, which is likely what’s driven so many Helldivers to jump back into the fray.

Super Earth was always a location fans hoped they could explore, and this is the first time it’s been made available. As such, when you combine the chaos of fighting on a new planet, the knowledge that it’s your own home, the familiar urban setting, and the power of the Illuminate, you have all the chaos and enjoyment many experienced at the height of Helldivers 2.

It’s easy to see why the player count has skyrocketed, but time will tell whether it holds.