The co-op shooter HELLDIVERS™ 2 from Arrowhead Game Studios is experiencing a major revival. The newly released Heart of Democracy patch introduced several new mechanics and a wealth of exciting content, drawing thousands of Super Earth defenders back to the front lines.
HELLDIVERS™ 2 is currently seeing impressive player numbers on Steam, and viewership on livestreaming platforms is higher than it’s been in a long time. Streams Charts took a deeper dive into this resurgence to better understand the phenomenon.
What happened?
On May 20, the developers of HELLDIVERS™ 2 rolled out a major update — version 1.0003 — called Heart of Democracy. Its standout feature is a flexible weapon customization system that lets players install modules, swap sights, magazines, and underbarrel attachments, and fine-tune their weapons to match their personal playstyle.
The update also introduced three new enemies from the Illuminate faction: the Stingray jetfighter, the Crescent Overseer, which can shoot through cover, and the Fleshmob, a grotesque creature made from the bodies of fallen foes.
The Heart of Democracy patch brought a range of other improvements, too. The developers fine-tuned game balance, adjusted projectile spread, reworked melee stamina usage, and tweaked fire damage. Dozens of weapons were buffed, including the Liberator and Incinerator. For a full list of changes, check out the official website.
Players are returning to HELLDIVERS™ 2
HELLDIVERS™ 2 enjoyed its golden age during the first few weeks after its launch in February 2024, when peak player count soared to 458,000. However, by summer, the game’s popularity had dropped off sharply, with peak numbers falling by several multiples. While major patches and seasonal events helped revive interest somewhat, the best the game managed after that was a peak of 148,000 players in December 2024.
Following the release of the Heart of Democracy patch, HELLDIVERS™ 2 saw its peak player count climb to nearly 163,000 — the highest it’s been since April 2024. The game’s momentum is also reflected in its average daily player count, which is up 40% compared to April.
HELLDIVERS™ 2 make a comeback in livestreaming
The Heart of Democracy patch has reignited interest not just among players but also among streamers. In May, the number of concurrent HELLDIVERS™ 2 streams on Twitch peaked at 1,382 channels — a 300% increase over the previous month. And with the month still underway, that number could climb even higher. The last time the game saw this level of streaming activity was back in April 2024.
In May, HELLDIVERS™ 2 hit a peak of 49,891 viewers on Twitch, marking its third-highest viewership since launch. Only February and March 2024 — the first couple of months after the game’s release — saw higher audience numbers.
Following the release of the Heart of Democracy patch, numerous top Twitch streamers featured HELLDIVERS™ 2 on their channels. Saqib "LIRIK" Ali Zahid drew the biggest crowd, peaking at 16,303 concurrent viewers. Rounding out the top three were Michael "shroud" Grzesiek and Jaryd "summit1g" Lazar, both well-known shooter enthusiasts.
Among female streamers, MissMikkaa attracted the largest audiences for HELLDIVERS™ 2 streams, while Limealicious topped the charts among VTubers. Notably, both made it into the top 10 for peak concurrent viewers in the category on Twitch.
For more detailed viewership stats on HELLDIVERS™ 2, visit the game’s page on Streams Charts. With a PRO subscription, you’ll unlock advanced analytics and filters to help you compare performance and trends across different games in the livestreaming space.
