HELLDIVERS 2

Arrowhead Game Studios · Sony Interactive Entertainment

HELLDIVERS 2 is a four-player co-op shooter by Arrowhead Game Studios, published by Sony in February 2024. You play as elite soldiers spreading "managed democracy" for Super Earth, a satirical, over-the-top military state, fighting off bugs, robots and other threats across the galaxy. It became a surprise hit because it is so much fun with friends. Missions drop your squad onto a planet with objectives to complete before extracting. Your main tools are stratagems: airstrikes, turrets, heavy weapons and supply drops called in by entering directional button codes. Doing that while being chased by a swarm is part of the comedy. Friendly fire is always on. You will accidentally call an orbital strike on your mate or blow each other up with a grenade, and it will happen a lot. That is exactly why it is so great at a cafe: four friends side by side, laughing and yelling, is the ideal way to play. Setup: PC or PS5. The game supports cross-play, so a group can be split across both. On PC, you need a Steam account; on PS5, PlayStation Network. A headset helps if you are not all sitting together. Starter tips: 1. Begin on lower difficulties to learn the stratagem codes and enemy types. 2. Always carry a heavy weapon for armoured enemies, and agree on who brings which support weapon. 3. Do not stand in front of a teammate's turret. 4. Reinforce dead teammates quickly; the reinforcement budget is shared. 5. Mark targets with pings so everyone knows what to focus. Time: a single mission can take 15 to 40 minutes depending on size and difficulty. Operations string several missions together. A two-hour block gives a squad a couple of operations with time to experiment with loadouts. HELLDIVERS 2 is rated M. It suits squads of three or four who want co-op chaos, people who enjoy dark comedy, and anyone who has ever wanted to save a teammate and then accidentally launch them across the map.