8 Video Games That Blew Up Thanks To YOU
2. Helldivers 2
The big surprise gaming hit of 2024 so far has undeniably been Helldivers 2 - a game which didn't muster too much hype pre-release, yet exploded in popularity almost immediately after.
On one hand, Helldivers 2 felt like a refreshing tonic, arriving amid a sea of bloated, expensive AAA letdowns - looking at you, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League - and offering up a rich, bloat-free live-service experience for less than half the price.
But that alone can't explain the game selling over 8 million copies within two months of release - developer Arrowhead Game Studios perfectly wielded social media to only further enhance the feeling that Helldivers 2 is a genuinely fun, legitimately "living" game.
For starters, its satirical tone ensures it doesn't take itself too seriously, in turn encouraging players to effectively roleplay their characters in tongue-in-cheek, Starship Troopers-inspired fashion on social media. Hell, even partners of obsessed players got in on the action, creating a hopefully-joking support group for "Wives and Girlfriends" of Helldivers 2 fans.
With its evolving galactic war and absurdly addictive gameplay loop, Helldivers 2 did everything right in order to retain a huge player-base, and two months after release it's still regularly got over 250,000 concurrent players serving up hot cups of Liber-tea on Steam.