Helldivers 2 has experienced a significant resurgence following its launch on Xbox Series X|S on August 26, pushing Steam concurrent players to the highest level since April 2024. The move also bundled a Halo ODST Legendary Warbond and gave the player base a welcome lift across platforms.
The game initially launched on PlayStation 5 and PC, and Sony made the unusual step of bringing the first-party title to Xbox on August 26. That Xbox launch included a collaboration with the Halo ODST Legendary Warbond, which helped draw attention from both Xbox players and the media.
Data from SteamDB shows that Steam’s concurrent players reached 167,795 on August 26, the highest number since April 2024. That April period preceded a significant decline tied to an account-linking controversy, so this feels like a solid rebound.
The recent totals exceed the peaks reached after both the Omens of Tyranny and Heart of Democracy updates, which suggests that the Xbox release had a ripple effect across platforms rather than just affecting consoles.
Many players seem willing to live without cross-progression for now; the title still supports crossplay, so new Xbox recruits can team up with friends on PlayStation 5 and PC. If you want the mechanics explained, see the piece on Helldivers 2 cross-progression.
Steam activity tends to peak at weekends so that the game may see another uptick in the days after launch. A fresh update is also scheduled for next week, which will introduce new content and potentially draw players back for another run.
