Crashing servers, flame wars, and a 60-day path to redemption—the utterly chaotic first year of Helldivers 2 has been a democratic doozy

There is a saying, somewhat applicable to our current circumstances, that is spoken only as a curse: "May you live in interesting times." Helldivers 2 is a triumph by most metrics, but it also happens to be the perfect distillation of that sentiment: "May you develop an interesting game.” Looking back over 2024, I wouldn't wish such a curse on my worst enemy.

To call Helldivers 2's first year 'hectic' is like saying that a tidal wave got you 'damp'. I've been combing over our past year of coverage to write this article...