Helldivers 2 dev says they don't know if the shooter will ever go bigger than 4-player squads, but it "would require a lot of work"

Helldivers 2 progression system
(Image credit: Sony)

A Helldivers 2 developer has addressed questions surrounding theoretical bigger player squads, saying that it would "require a lot of work."

In the official Helldivers 2 Discord, one player recently asked developer Arrowhead if it would ever add bigger squads that support more than four players at once. A community manager responded, saying that, in short, they simply "don't know" about the possibility.

"I do know that if we ever go down that route, it would require a lot of work. If it's ever a thing (which I'm not at all sure it will be), it's in the distant future," the community manager continued, shedding a little more light on the situation and the development process at Arrowhead Game Studios.

A lot of Helldivers 2 revolves around four-player squads, and I'm not just talking about the obvious gameplay and weapon balancing. There are only four Hellpod spots in a Super Destroyer, for example, just like there are four spots on the victory podium at the end of a game, and four spots at the Galactic War table for players to interact with on a ship.

In short, a lot more of Helldivers 2 revolves around four-player squads than you might think. It boggles the mind thinking about how Arrowhead would have to rebalance player gear to accommodate four players at once, or how enemy swarms and health would have to be adjusted to stack up against five or six Helldivers at the same time.

This isn't the only player requested Arrowhead has addressed of late. Earlier this month, a Helldivers 2 developer revealed underground maps were "contemplated" during development, but would again require a lot of logistical reworking to get up and running. It's nice to see Arrowhead being pretty open with its player base about the workload a feature would require.

Check out our Helldivers 2 Devastators guide if you need a helping hand taking down the hulking robots. 

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

Read more
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him
Arrowhead reveals the Helldivers 2 ideas left on its cutting room floor, from 5-player squads to low-gravity planets and a whole new armor system
Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 has an endgame problem, but a developer assures us "things are coming," they just can't say what yet because otherwise our expectations will be too high
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him
Helldivers 2 CEO says Warhammer 40k owners "would love a crossover," but "time and resources are finite and we have our hands busy"
A Helldiver from Helldivers 2 stand proudly atop a pile of Terminids.
Helldivers 2 lead thought it would bang, but not that hard: "We were prepared for having 150,000 players peak CCU"
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him
Arrowhead CEO assures Helldivers 2 fans the online shooter will stay live "as long as people play" it: "If we can keep it going for 10 years we will"
Helldivers 2
After an eventful year, Helldivers 2 devs hope "it will be less of a bumpy road when it comes to release accuracy" - but Arrowhead is still "prepared to take risks"
Latest in Third Person Shooter
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him
Arrowhead reveals the Helldivers 2 ideas left on its cutting room floor, from 5-player squads to low-gravity planets and a whole new armor system
Helldivers 2 Ultimatum
Helldivers 2 has a Major Order problem, but the solution isn't simple because "having 100% participation means the MOs will always be won and that introduces other issues"
Marvel Rivals Clone Rumble
Marvel Rivals' new Clone Rumble mode sounds like the kind of absolute chaos multiplayer games need more of
Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 has an endgame problem, but a developer assures us "things are coming," they just can't say what yet because otherwise our expectations will be too high
Jeff the Land Shark as he appears in Marvel Rivals
"Sounds like a skills issue": Jeff the Shark co-creator says Marvel Rivals players "should get better at the game" if "my boy is beating your ass every night"
Helldivers 2 intro cutscene helldiver thumbs up
Helldivers 2's Galactic War resumes as Arrowhead fixes its broken liberation rates, and High Command insists anyone who saw anything weird "may be suffering from Illuminate mind-influence"
Latest in News
The Blood of Dawnwalker: A screenshot of the vampire Brencis holding up a crown during the trailer for the upcoming game.
The Witcher 3 devs created a Jekyll & Hyde-style character for their new vampire RPG "because nobody yet has done that"
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil fans are wondering if Born Again season 2 will set up a darker comic book arc for Matt Murdock
Theo James as Hal in Osgood Perkins' The Monkey
It might only be March, but Stephen King adaptation The Monkey is now the highest grossing horror movie of 2025
Balatro screenshot showing an assortment of card packs
Balatro creator initially considered a Steam release in part to help "get a game developer job somewhere," and after 5 million sales I'd say he found one
Cyborg and Batman together
Justice League stars Ray Fisher and Ben Affleck are teaming up for new thriller Animals
InZOI screenshot
The Sims rival InZoi has 300 people hanging out in each of its in-game cities and they all "interact with each other in real-time"