The_Wailing_Doom

Good for Sony and Square-Enix. With Microsoft buying up everything, Sony needs to secure more exclusives and studios to fight back.

Fake for now. It's inevitable.

This seems like a great patch. I can finally use the flamethrower again without feeling like a hindrance to my team. I also like the 120mm and 380mm orbital bombardments, but they were almost useless before. Now, they will be much better!

At the higher difficulties, there are some (toxic/dumb) players who will kick you if you don't pick specific strategems. It's better if all the strategems are equally viable, so you can play with what you want and still succeed.

I have lost too much sleep from this game. I almost have all the strategems unlocked, so totally worth it... maybe.

An option for "my expectations are unrealistic, so I'll never be pleased" should be added to the poll. Lots of people would have to select that option if they were being honest.

I can foresee Helldivers 2 among my most played games ever. It'll take a while, but it's catching up quickly. It's already 3/4 the way to being my most played game on PlayStation, but it has a long way to go before dethroning Persona 5.

World of Warcraft is so high up there, I think it's untouchable. It's followed by Heroes of the Storm and Destiny 2. Destiny 2 I can see being usurped, especially if I forego the final expansion as I am planning to do.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner
It was in the Extra catalog, not one of the monthly Essential games.

@Colour
They need to put a ring on Arrowhead's finger before looking anywhere else. Arrowhead and Sony have worked together a long time and Arrowhead is clearly able to make the kind of games Sony needs in their stable. The studio is small, so should not be expensive, either.

What a good idea to partner with the company that freed them from the tyranny of Bobby Kotick by buying them for their IP and laying off the workers. Sounds "smart!"

I don't care for survival games, but the setting is super cool.

Good for Saber Interactive being freed from Embracer. I hope ends up being positive for Space Marine 2.

Sweet line up. Destiny 2 continues to be the gift that keeps on giving. Sifu looks interesting enough I'll try it.

Awful news. I am also surprised Guerilla is much smaller than I thought before the layoffs considering they both develop Sony's main engine and develop games.

@itsfoz
Somebody missed the memo about Game Pass's business model being "value destructive" according to multiple major gaming CEOs (and anyone who didn't sleep through economics classes).

@Amnesiac

Haha. You sure said it.

NOOOOOOO! I need more Twisted Metal!!!

This is truly awful. If Sony does move forward acquiring Arrowhead, which they absolutely need to do, the optics of the situation would be even worse.

I suspect a lot of these industry layoffs are a result of the ever-increasing costs to develop games and the "value-destructive" practices of Game Pass (as quoted by numerous major gaming CEOs, but also is completely obvious) and, to a lesser degree, similar services.

@DNortonX with the Portal, you carry around one device instead of two and/or don't tie up your phone. Quality.

@CallMeDuraSouka
Thank you for the recommendation! I'll try it now.

I would buy one of those cowards would sell me one. I have yet to see one in stock!

@breakneck
Oh that's a shame about the burned bridges.

Noooooo!!! Sony, rescue this studio and make more games like Until Dawn!!

@JAMes-BroWWWn
Game Pass is doing its part!

@StonyKL
One of us! One of us!!

@AndrehF
Bummer. I hope they fix that. In the meantime, I went from SMS 2FA to using an authenticator. I have to use one for so many things as it is (work-related and otherwise), it's not too big of a deal and is very secure.

@Weebleman @Jaz007
Arrowhead CEO, Johan Pilestedt, said on Twitter: “I have one final update for tonight. We have updated the max CCU cap to 700,000. Unfortunately, we expect the CCU to reach that level. We believe that the wait times will be much more bearable.”

CCU = concurrent user

The game is in great shape now. Instant matchmaking, login is smooth, and no wait queues that I've seen. Arrowhead should be very pleased with themselves. They are great addition to PlayStation Studios.

@Professor_Niggle
Oh.. Doh!! I don't know why I went to thinking you could equip strategems from others in your squad. The method you describe I am familiar with.

@Professor_Niggle
Lends you a strategem?!

@DualWielding
You have to go through the account recovery process in which second layer security is disabled and you have to create a new password. I had to go through this process because my passkey wouldn't work on my phone, which results in effectively the same scenario you describe.

@Khayl
Breaking news: As of right now, Arrowhead Games now boots inactive users from Helldivers 2. That should really help with the server issues because it stops the clowns who stay logged in all day.

"You have been disconnected due to inactivity."

@zhoont
Aye. I just updated my comment. I did the account recovery process and got in again. I had to change my password, but I was able to change it back to what it was previously, so that's nice. I went back to two-factor authentication. I'll try the passkey method again someday, but not any time soon. Sony has some kinks to work out still.

That's great. I will set that up right now.

Edit: What an awful experience. It set up so easy, but I can no longer sign in because my passkey is not being accepted for some reason. I get the option to sign in manually instead, but now my password won't work because I get prompted to use the passkey. Currently, I'm unable to sign in.

Update: I went through the account recovery process and went back to two-factor authentication, but this time using an authenticator instead of SMS. That's very secure as it is, so I'll just stay there.

Phil is "supportive" of physical media but then, despite Xbox being a major publisher that owns the games, they won't publish physical copies themselves? What's the logic here, if any?

@ShogunRok
Correction: "Lego Words" in the poll.

50% more XP means 50% more democracy!

I'm too busy spreading hot lead-wrapped democracy.

Careful with the wording, @get2sammyb. Microsoft never said Game Pass was profitable because they can't lie to shareholders. They've said "sustainable" and "financially viable," which are not the same thing.

@GilberTilbert
They haven't been. PS+ competes with Game Pass, but they won't copy Game Pass. They view Game Pass as "value destructive" and publisher CEOs agree, including that of ABK, because it's true.

@Stickleman
Game Pass absolutely isn't profitable, which is why Phil never says "profitable." He says "sustainable" and "financially viable," which are not the same thing and are meaningless when backed by a $3T company that can sustain immense amount of expenditure.

Plus, smart people know the Game Pass equation is (X-Y)-Z = profit, not X-Y =profit, as Phil's spin would have you believe.

X = Revenue from subscriptions

Y = Expenses including content for the service

Z = Lost revenue from cratering game sales

More non-answers from Fibbin' Phil. Why do people even care what he says? He spins and speaks very vaguely all the time.

It does seem Xbox will start treating other consoles like PlayStation treats PC and not go fully platform agnostic, releasing most titles a year or so later. That's much wiser. Microsoft can keep sustaining the financial hit of Game Pass until they see how adding ABK games can affect subscription numbers. It's obvious they'll still lose tons of money on Games Pass then because there is no way putting Xbox Studios games on platforms they normally would have not launched on would offset ABK and Bethesda game sales cratering on Xbox and any game that would have been multi-platform without Microsoft's meddling.

The game is excellent with real potential to improve to outstanding. Arrowhead and Sony are quite a team.

When the complete version releases, you can add at least one more sale. The game looks incredible.

@DukeeDukems
It indeed is their plan. It's the only way to make Game Pass more viable, though it won't help with Bethesda or ABK games, which will still take the Game Pass hit.

@Jamesblob
You get a standing ovation for that. Well said.

@Sakai
Your presence here answers your question, my friend.

Wow. Game Pass really backed them into a corner.

Good. The developers should focus on what they want to make and what they do well.

Not at all shocked by this. They kept buying up studios and that was clearly unsustainable. Sad for the workers who pay the price for executives' stupidity.

@cragis0001
There is nothing flawed about it.