Helldivers 2 started off exactly the way everyone should've expected it to: with server issues. Like many people, I figured it would struggle for a bit simply because it's an online game and these things are like concrete in that they tend to be messy until they have time to set. What I didn't expect was for the sequel to a fairly old, relatively niche twin-stick co-op shooter to become the new game of the moment, taking the baton from Palworld in the 2024 marathon.
All told, Helldivers 2's breakneck launch has actually been pretty smooth. The measure of these is how they feel after a few days, not a few hours, though it's hard to tell yourself that when you've just been blocked or disconnected for the millionth time while you're trying to play with friends and defend Super Earth during your limited game time. However, the measure of live service games as a whole is how they feel after a month or so, and some five weeks from launch, it's hard to think of a recent game that's stuck the landing as cleanly as Helldivers 2. It's not only made a compelling case for why it needs to be a live service game, it's also loudly proven, on the heels of games like WB's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Ubisoft's Skull and Bones, that live services can be extremely and uniquely fun.
