The latest Helldivers 2 patch has addressed the issue of crowding, introducing a function that will kick AFK players from the server after a certain period of inactivity.
According to the patch notes, the Arrowhead Game Studios team have “implemented a functionality that will kick players who remain idle for 15 minutes back to the title screen.”
The online co-op game launched to wide acclaim in early February 2024, with eager players flooding the servers in an attempt to turn the tide of an intergalactic alien battle, despite launch day issues.
But with so many players desperately trying to get online – and stay online – it let to an influx in players simply never logging out in order to retain their position. This latest Helldivers 2 patch seeks to address that tactic, opening up positions for other players to have a go.
Read: Helldivers 2 Review – Glory to Super Earth
The patch comes just a few short days after Arrowhead increased the server capacity to 450,000 concurrent players – a strong start, but ultimately not enough to stem the flow of eager players trying to get online and dive into hell.
In GamesHub’s review for Helldivers 2, reviewer Jam Walker noted, “With a live service game of this kind that has exploded in player numbers so quickly, I’m fascinated to think about where Helldivers 2 as a thing will be in the near future.”
While this patch doesn’t entirely solve the issue of access – and there will inevitably be ways around it for sneaky players – it should hopefully make decent strides in evening out the playing field.