How to play multiplayer in Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 can be played solo, but the game is designed from the ground up for cooperative multiplayer. You might not know how to join a squad or start one of your own, however. Here is how you can play multiplayer matches of Helldivers 2 and spread Managed Democracy… together.

First things first, you should customize the kind of Helldivers 2 multiplayer experience you want. The game is online-only, which means it never disconnects from the servers except typically all the time. Because of this, other players often join you during your missions.

But you do have some control over what kind of players. Pause the game and navigate to the ‘Options’ menu. In the ‘Gameplay’ section, check ‘Matchmaking Privacy’. ‘Public’ means your game is open to everyone, but ‘Friends Only’ closes it off to all but those on your friends list. The game also has a crossplay option, and I suggest leaving that on to increase the odds of finding teammates.

Ways to play multiplayer matches in Helldivers 2

With that out of the way, let’s go over how to play Helldivers 2 multiplayer with the general public. You have a couple of options to consider. One option is to join a game already in progress. To do that, make sure you follow the aforementioned steps and have Matchmaking Privacy set to Public. Next, head over to your Galactic War map at the center of your ship’s Bridge and pick a planet. Joinable missions show a player count just below the mission icon.

Click on the mission to initiate the joining sequence. If you’re lucky, you’ll connect to the other person’s game. Another way you can join a game is to press the ‘Quick Play’ button or key while locked onto a planet. It’s a good option available for those who don’t care about mission type and just want to get to bashing bugs or bots.

The second way to play multiplayer in Helldivers 2 is to start a match and try to bring in players quickly with the SOS Beacon stratagem. To use it, open up your Stratagem menu while on the planet. Next, plug in the correct inputs and throw the beacon anywhere you desire. Keep in mind that people can enter your game at any time; the SOS Beacon merely increases the chances for them to join.

Make a private match with friends

Finally, you can play Helldivers 2 with friends by inviting them into your game. The best way to do this is to go back to the previously explained Matchmaking Privacy section under the Options tab in the menu and choose Friends Only. Next, go to the ‘Social’ tab and invite your friends from your Friends list. You can also generate a ‘Friend Code’ for use in crossplay.