Space supremacy: Helldivers 2 soars past Starfield, Destiny 2 in all-time peak player count

The mission of the Helldivers is simple: Every planet out there must be made to accept the righteous cause of Managed Democracy—which apparently includes Earth, too. Helldivers 2 has been a runaway success, soaring past the expectations of gamers and developers alike and even managing to crash the game’s servers multiple times since launch. Astonishingly, it’s even managed to beat out sci-fi titans like Starfield and Destiny 2 in terms of all-time player count on Feb. 17; no mean feat, given how relatively obscure the original Helldivers was.

It’s reminiscent of Titanfall 2‘s similar out-from-nowhere success story, albeit on a far larger scale. On the surface, it’s not hard to see why the game has found such ready appeal: galaxy-spanning battles, hordes of enemies to mow down, and more particle effects than you can shake a Liberator assault rifle at, all wrapped up in a veneer of Starship Troopers-style satirical hyperpatriotism, make for a unique and always high-octane experience.