Summary

• Helldivers 2 is primarily designed for four-person co-op multiplayer, but the game is not very clear on how to create or matchmaking lobbies.
• Quickplay is the easiest and quickest method for multiplayer in Helldivers 2, and will place the player in a random mission.
• Hosting a multiplayer lobby is a bit trickier, requiring some patience while the game connects other players searching through Quickplay.

Helldivers 2 gameplay is built with multiplayer at its forefront, so once its lobby and quickplay systems are understood, the entire process is quite straightforward.

Arrowhead Game Studios' third-person shooter is playable with one to four players, just like similar co-op shooter Warhammer 40K: Darktide, and there's a variety of ways to facilitate multiplayer. Friends can be invited to a lobby, open slots can be randomly searched for, or public lobbies can be opened. Playing with friends is the most straightforward, as the in-game social menu makes it clear how to send invites and share friend codes for cross-platform play. ing random games and creating lobbies aren't so clearcut, though, even if ing others to spread managed democracy is ultimately quite simple.

How Quickplay Matchmaking Works In Helldivers 2

Quickplay is by far the most straightforward method for multiplayer in Helldivers 2. When viewing the Galactic War map from the War Table on the bridge of the Super Destroyer, a button prompt will appear for Quickplay. This will automatically search for games on the planet that the player's Super Destroyer is currently orbiting, and is the easiest, quickest way to get into co-op. Quickplay will put players into a multiplayer lobby in one of two ways: ing another player's ship to begin a mission from the beginning, or by answering an SOS Beacon to a mission in progress.

Players having trouble with matchmaking, or growing impatient with failures to a lobby from the War Table's Quickplay, can make use of the SOS Beacon to attempt multiplayer. The SOS Beacon is unlocked automatically for all players, and is used like a Stratagem once in a mission. Activating the SOS Beacon will let other players searching for a Quickplay lobby missions in progress, though throwing the SOS Beacons doesn't necessarily guarantee that other players will .

On launch day, Helldivers 2 had a low success rate connecting to Quickplay lobbies, but a hotfix has been issued for both PC and PS5 addressing the issue.

How To Host A Multiplayer Lobby In Helldivers 2

Figuring out more traditional matchmaking in Helldivers 2 is a bit tricky, as the game doesn't have a clearcut way to search for or host a lobby. First, players will need to ensure their matchmaking settings are set to Public – this is the default setting, but double-checking can't hurt. Essentially, selecting a mission opens a lobby; once the game indicates that the Hellpods are ready for deployment (where players select their equipment and Strategems for the mission), other players are able to . Selecting a mission, then waiting on the Super Destroyer until other players is the only way to host a public lobby, where random teammates will appear after they search through their own Quickplay function.

A PlayStation Plus subscription is required for multiplayer in Helldivers 2 on PS5.

There is, unfortunately, no on-screen indication that the lobby is open, nor anything showing that players are actively searching, only messages when another player manages to . However, looking out the Super Destroyer's windows to that there are other ships nearby is a good indication that multiplayer for the selected mission is possible – nearby ships seem to be a rough approximation of how many other players are conducting missions in the same area. The mission to spread managed democracy in the name of Super Earth's liberty in Helldivers 2 is best experienced in co-op, but the game is unfortunately not very forthright with its subtle matchmaking methods.