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Helldivers 2 keeps breaking records and that’s bad news for its developer, in a good way. The third-person shooter recently became PlayStation’s biggest PC launch title, and with more players joining the game over the weekend, developer Arrowhead Studios has a new problem: the servers just can’t keep up with the demand.
As of the time of writing, Helldivers 2 has crossed Destiny 2 and GTA 5 with its peak concurrent player numbers, which blew past 400,000 active players over the weekend. Arrowhead saw this coming, which is why the game was rewarding players with 50% extra XP. Even then, players were unable to log in to the game for most of the two-day event.
Helldivers 2 servers are now capped at around 450k players to further improve server stability, according to the official Helldivers 2 Discord pic.twitter.com/Z4zRzRGl8n
— Wario64 (@Wario64) February 18, 2024
Since then, Arrowhead Studios has announced that Helldivers 2’s server capacity has been capped at 450,000 players for “server stability”. In a post on X/Twitter, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt said the team was “completely exhausted by the success” of the game, which is warranted as nobody saw this coming. However, with the news of no PlayStation franchise sequels releasing this year, perhaps the team should have anticipated an inflated player count.
With so many players flocking to Helldivers 2, it now has a higher player count than all of PlayStation’s prior PC ports combined. In a response to fans asking about the game’s live-service roadmap, Pilestedt said that there have been significant changes to it, so expect a new roadmap in the coming weeks.
Helldivers 2 has sold over 1 million units since its release, with sales divided roughly equally between PC and PS5. While it still has a ways to go before reaching the massive numbers of Palworld, it certainly makes for an interesting start to 2024 with two “smaller” games reaching a mass audience. Both the Standard Edition and Super Citizen Edition of the game are sitting in the top 3 positions of Steam's sales charts. The game enjoys a "Mostly Positive" rating based on over 80,000 reviews, with a respectable Metacritic score of 83.
Helldivers 2 is out now for PC and PS5.
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Intriguing reunion on table for Steelers with trade deadline nearing
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team that is looking to solidify itself as a competitor in the AFC for the 2025 season, and the franchise should be looking to make some moves around the trade deadline. The organization already brought in safety Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots, and he made an immediate impact in a win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Steelers could use some help on the offensive side of the ball as well, but more additions could be made to shore up the defense as well. There is some positional uncertainty at safety for the Steelers as well as a bunch of injuries. The position has changed a ton throughout the season, and the Steelers could certainly use some more depth in the area. Unfortunately, Minkah Fitzpatrick would only be an option if he were to be cut as Pittsburgh cannot trade for him within two years of trading him away. However, his former running mate, Damontae Kazee, is a potential option for the Steelers after he was released by the Cleveland Browns on Monday. Kazee is a veteran with a good amount of experience, and he could certainly sign with Pittsburgh if the front office wants him to return to the black and gold. However, there are other safety-needy teams throughout the league as well. The coaching staff in the Steel City understands and appreciates familiar voices on the roster, and Kazee could provide decent depth while also being familiar with the defense and everyone in the building. Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark have been other contributors at safety for the Steelers in 2025, but there is a real chance that Kazee might be a better option than either of those players. Both Thornhill and Clark have seemed to be at the center of communication issues in the secondary, and whenever there is an obvious coverage bust, Clark seems to always be one of the players closest to it. Kazee signed with the Browns during the 2025 offseason, and he had only played in four games through the first nine weeks of the season. He had been on the field for just 11 defensive snaps, as he seemed to be more of a special teamer in Cleveland. Despite the reduced role in 2025, he could provide some value to Pittsburgh, even if he is just signed to the practice squad. The fan base in Pittsburgh might not have always loved Kazee, but he played a lot of football for the Steelers throughout the three seasons he spent with the team. At the very least, he provides depth for Pittsburgh at a position of need, and he wouldn't be expensive to sign. This is the type of signing the Steelers would make, and it completely makes sense to do so. Pittsburgh Steelers have found a successful safety combination Ahead of Pittsburgh's game on Sunday against the Colts, it was announced that cornerback Jalen Ramsey would be playing exclusively free safety. He had been playing some safety throughout the year depending on what the opposing offense was doing, but on Sunday, he did not leave the position. It was Ramsey and Dugger leading the way in the defensive backfield, and the duo had a pretty good day. It will be interesting to see if that is something the Steelers continue to use in the coming weeks, but it probably should be since it was so effective against the best offense in the NFL.
Packers have two trade options to replace Tucker Kraft
The Green Bay Packers lost much more than a game on Sunday afternoon. Star tight end Tucker Kraft, who had blossomed as one of the biggest threats for their passing game, suffered a potential season-ending knee injury. Kraft's production was quite valuable for Matt LaFleur's team, hauling in 32 passes on 44 targets for 489 yards and six touchdowns. Now, with Kraft potentially out of the picture and the trade deadline just hours away, the Packers have two candidates to consider as his replacement. Packers should trade for David Njoku or Chig Okonkwo Jordan Love is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in intermediate throws and using the middle of the field. The Packers need to exploit that with another playmaking tight end. With the Cleveland Browns sitting on a 2-6 record and David Njoku still waiting to get a contract extension, he'd be a solid and reliable addition at a reasonable price. He's up to 27 receptions for 260 yards and two scores this season. While he's been vocal about his desire to stay in Cleveland, Browns rookie TE Harold Fannin Jr. is already the No. 1 option. If the Browns are reluctant to give Njoku up, the Packers can always reach out to the Tennessee Titans, who, at 1-8, are already going through a panic sale of their own. Cam Ward hasn't developed much chemistry with Chigoziem Okonkwo. Given that Okonkwo is in the final year of his rookie contract, he's also a no-brainer trade candidate. Despite the limited opportunities and inconsistent playing time, Okonkwo has turned 29 catches into 281 yards. He may only need a change of scenery to break out.
Potential Cowboys All-Pro target's steep trade price unchanged
Trey Hendrickson is one of the top available pass rushers on the trade block and the Dallas Cowboys still need to find someone to lead their struggling defensive line. Dallas reportedly called about Hendrickson, but the Cincinnati Bengals weren’t willing to make a deal at the time. Following their loss in Week 9, however, their stance might have changed. What hasn’t changed is the steep price for Hendrickson. According to Dianna Russini, the Bengals are asking for a first-round pick as part of any deal for the star pass rusher. As the deadline approaches, it wouldn’t be surprising to see interest in Hendrickson heat up. The ninth-year pro had 17.5 sacks in 2023 and repeated that total in 2024. He currently has 81 career sacks and has proven to be a difference-maker in pass defense. Can the Dallas Cowboys afford to extend Trey Hendrickson? Hendrickson is in the final season of a four-year, $60 million deal signed in 2021 after spending his first four seasons with the New Orleans Saints. Cincinnati has been hesitant to work out an extension, which has led to persistent trade rumors. At team that lands Hendrickson needs to be prepared to work out a new deal. If the Cowboys were able to get Hendrickson, a potential extension becomes the main talking point. Dallas was reluctant to extend their own star, Micah Parsons, leading to the blockbuster trade that sent him to the Green Bay Packers. Despite their insistence that they couldn’t afford to extend everyone, the Cowboys have $31.5 million in cap space right now. That means they can easily afford to work out a deal with Hendrickson, and would potentially still have three Round 1 picks over the next two seasons. The real question is whether Jerry Jones wants to pull the trigger on the splashy addition. — Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI— 3 bold predictions for Dallas Cowboys-Cardinals on Monday Night Football Cowboys' final Week 9 injury report lists 6 players out, including 3 starters on D 3 keys to victory for Dallas Cowboys in pivotal Week 9 matchup vs. Cardinals NFL insider names Cowboys' potential trade deadline targets to bolster defense Cowboys-Cardinals MNF game gets streaming lifeline amid ESPN-YouTube TV dispute Meet Camille Sturdivant: Star of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Netflix docuseries
'SNF' takeaways: Seahawks dominate Commanders; who lose QB Jayden Daniels to serious injury
The Seattle Seahawks dominated from start to finish in a 38-14 win over the Washington Commanders, who lost star quarterback Jayden Daniels to a serious left arm injury late in the game on "Sunday Night Football." Here are four takeaways from Sunday's NFL nightcap: Sam Darnold was near-perfect in blowout win Darnold could not have started any better in Sunday's win, going a perfect 16-of-16 for 282 yards, four TDs and a 158.3 passer rating in the first half. Darnold finished 21-of-24 for 330 yards, four TDs and one interception. Two of those strikes were to rookie Tory Horton, who had four catches for 48 yards and two TDs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba put up eight receptions for 129 yards, giving him at least 100 receiving yards for the sixth time this season. It was a dominant effort all around for Seattle, but Darnold's success distributing the ball with ease showed how dangerous the Seahawks (6-2) can be when he is at the top of his game. Scary injury to Jayden Daniels compounds injury-plagued season The Commanders QB was 16-of-22 for 153 yards and one interception, with an additional 51 rush yards and a TD on the ground. However, the bigger story was a brutal left arm injury to the star signal-caller in the fourth quarter that resulted in him leaving the field in an air cast. Daniels had only played in five games this season before Week 9 due to a sprained left knee and a right hamstring injury, but returned to action on Sunday night. After his latest injury, the Commanders are staring down a lost season unless something changes quickly. Too many miscues for the Commanders A disastrous first half was too much for the Commanders to overcome on Sunday night. Aside from a late TD from Daniels before halftime, Washington punted twice, threw an interception and fumbled the ball on a kickoff return. That followed a Seattle TD on the previous drive and led to another score on the next play to make it a 21-0 lead in favor of the Seahawks. The Commanders gave up 418 yards and committed eight penalties for 87 yards. For a team coming into Week 9 with three consecutive losses and battling through key injuries already, it never gave itself a chance and only ended the night on a worse note with Daniels, who had no reason to even be in the game at that point. Seahawks defense dominates again For the seventh time in eight games this season, the Seahawks allowed 20 points or fewer and had their way once again defensively. After blanking the Commanders through the opening quarter, safety Ty Okada recorded a sensational interception when he picked off Daniels early in the second quarter. The dominance only continued as the Seahawks allowed an average of 4.7 yards per play and forced a pair of Commanders turnovers. Seattle has not gotten the recognition it deserves this season, but if it keeps putting these kinds of performances together, that will change.
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