Summary
- The team behind Helldivers 2 initially planned to include teams of five but quickly ran into balancing issues.
- The game was designed for co-op play from the ground up, but having more than four players in a squad quickly caused problems.
A former Arrowhead Studios team member recently discussed the design process behind Helldivers 2, specifically regarding squads, explaining that prior to launch the studio had experimented with larger team sizes. This simply didn’t work the way developers wanted, with the four-person limit in Helldivers 2 now being one of the game’s defining features. This, of course, hasn’t stopped players from wishing for expanded squad sizes, but considering what Arrowhead had to say on the matter, four players is likely the sweet spot.
At its core, Helldivers 2 is a co-op experience that works best with a full squad. Solo players can hop into a match and attempt to vanquish Helldivers 2‘s array of Automatons and Terminids on their own, but the true heart of the game only reveals itself with a full squad of four players. Helldivers 2 was designed as a co-op game from the ground up, something evident with the game’s assortment of mission objectives. However, things also get tricky when adding more than four players to matches, according to Arrowhead, with a former lead developer recently sharing some details regarding five-player squads.
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During a recent Q&A, former Helldivers 2 design director Patrik Lasota shared that the game was originally designed to suit teams of five players. The game was tested in this format but was eventually dialed back by one due to issues with gameplay mechanics and overall balancing, something that remains a key focus in Helldivers 2. “When you’re four people playing, if a fifth joins you, suddenly you’re a three stack and a two stack,” Lasota said. “It creates this unbalance. But if you’re five people and someone joins, you’re two three stacks and you’re three groups instead of one becoming a pair.” Lasota said that it’s difficult to ensure five players are all having fun, as there would always be an imbalance. “It turns out, when you’re five people, someone is always just standing around, not really participating in the action.”
Former Helldivers 2 Dev Discusses 5-Player Squads
These issues extended to Helldivers 2‘s collection of Stratagems, which have the ability to quickly turn the tide of battle in players’ favor. Four-person squads limit the number of Stratagems players can bring in, but Lasota explained that with teams of five, players had too much freedom when it came to selecting which ones to bring into battle. This resulted in less importance during the selection process before a match started, as players knew they had enough firepower to deal with what they needed to no matter what. “It just turned the game into…you didn’t really have to make any choices when it came to stratagems.”
Community is a big part of Helldivers 2, with Arrowhead Studios working to listen and adapt to player feedback. The game has been a massive success for both the studio and Sony, with Helldivers 2 crossing some incredible milestones recently. Players are currently in the middle of the game’s new Omens of Tyranny update, with plenty more in store for Helldivers 2 in 2025.
- Released
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February 8, 2024
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Developer(s)
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Arrowhead Game Studios
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