A controversial anti-cheat update has led to yet another review bombing for Helldivers 2. Arrowhead Game Studios recently deployed the patch, which has prompted Helldivers 2 players to quickly make their voices heard on the matter.
This isn’t the first time Helldivers 2 has been review bombed. In fact, it’s happened a few times now. The game was one of the surprise hits of 2024, but as a live-service title, developer Arrowhead Game Studios is constantly making decisions about Helldivers 2 that affect the player base. And when players aren’t happy, they have historically let the studio know about it by tanking the game’s reviews.
Helldivers 2 Review Bombed After Moving to Easy Anti-Cheat
Arrowhead recently deployed a new Helldivers 2 update that moved the game from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat. In the process, it broke many cosmetic Helldivers 2 mods that don’t affect gameplay. Players have been extremely frustrated by the change, quickly tanking the game’s Steam rating to “Mixed,” with just 57% positive recent reviews at the time of writing. Almost every negative review references the Easy Anti-Cheat update, pointing the finger firmly at the developer for making the switch.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
The update has been made in good faith. In the original announcement, Arrowhead acknowledges that “mods are part of the DNA of PC gaming and gaming communities as a whole,” and says it can “appreciate the creativity behind cosmetic and non-gameplay mods.” However, it also says that it must “protect players against modifications that create unfair advantages or negatively impact others, which goes beyond software manipulation to tamper with our game.” It’s true that Helldivers 2 has seen an uptick in mods that fundamentally change the game, even for others in the lobby who don’t have them installed. This is what this update is targeting, and for now, some cosmetic mods have been collateral damage.
Arrowhead’s statement suggests it’s not all bad news for mods that add new Helldivers 2 cosmetics. It says that “non-malicious cosmetic mods may require updates from their individual creators in order to keep working,” indicating that Easy Anti-Cheat won’t stop them from working as long as they’re up to date. While they may be broken now, hopefully, the situation will quickly improve as mods are updated.
Back in late August, Helldivers 2 revealed its content roadmap for the rest of 2026, showing off everything its developer has planned. There’s still plenty to come from the live-service game, which continues to maintain a healthy player count despite its recent review bombing.
- Released
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February 8, 2024
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
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Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
