Back in 2015, the original Helldivers made a splash across PlayStation hardware as a brutal yet often hilarious top-down shooter. With friendly fire enabled, a wide range of strategems to equip, and a near-endless stream of enemies to blast down, the indie game allowed for hours of fun.
But it was just that, an indie game. Now, nine years on, a full-fledged sequel is in focus as devs pivot from top-down to third-person action with a much more polished coat of paint. With an improvement to visual fidelity, the PS5 & PC exclusive looks to be a huge step up in quality.
But when it comes time to drop in and defend Super Earth once more, can players expect couch co-op support? Here’s what we know about local multiplayer in Helldivers 2.
Helldivers 2 is built from the ground up with co-op in mind, just not for those on the same couch.
Does Helldivers 2 have couch co-op?
At the time of writing, Helldivers 2 does not appear to support couch co-op. However, that’s not to say it won’t ever allow for such a feature.
Currently, the game’s Steam page outlines all relevant systems, and couch co-op is nowhere to be seen. Similarly, the game’s PlayStation store listing also outlines how “online play” is a requirement, with no local co-op support. Furthermore, devs have made no comment on the matter, indicating it’s not in the plans at this stage.
As a rather demanding game with intense particle effects and wide open maps for independent exploration, couch co-op may simply be too much for the PS5 to handle. Though with the right adjustments, maybe we’ll see it at some point down the line.
For now though, the only way to enjoy Helldivers 2 with a friend is through online co-op. That can be as a duo, trio, or a full squad of four.