Helldivers 2 crashes on startup? Black screen? Unable to connect? Failed to create a lobby? — Troubleshooting

Issues with black screens, crashes on startup, difficulties in creating lobbies or connecting in Helldivers 2 cause a lot of inconvenience for players. In this guide, we provide effective ways to resolve the most common technical problems gamers encounter. From a detailed analysis of the causes of black screens to specific actions to prevent game crashes and methods for successfully creating or joining a lobby.

Having trouble connecting to Helldivers 2 or experiencing a black screen on startup? Many players report that Helldivers 2 is not functioning properly, experiencing difficulties with both server connection and joining lobbies. Such issues can seriously affect the gameplay and enjoyment of the game. Below, we have presented all the main solutions for the most common issues.

System Requirements

System requirements represent a set of hardware and software specifications needed for the game to run correctly on a PC. They include information about the required type of processor, amount of RAM, type and power of the graphics processor, available disk space, as well as the required version of the operating system and support for certain technologies.

Minimum Requirements

  • Operating System: Windows 10 or 11 64-bit;
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-4790K or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X;
  • RAM: 8 GB RAM;
  • Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 470;
  • HDD: 100 GB;
  • It is recommended to install the game on a solid-state drive (SSD);
  • Also: keyboard, mouse.

Recommended Requirements

  • Operating System: Windows 10 or 11 64-bit;
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X.
  • RAM: 16 GB RAM;
  • Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 6600XT.
  • HDD: 100 GB;
  • It is recommended to install the game on a solid-state drive (SSD);
  • Also: keyboard, mouse.

Helldivers 2 Crashes on Startup — What to Do?

If Helldivers 2 frequently crashes on startup or during gameplay, it can be caused by various factors related to both the game itself and your platform's specifics. Here are some general recommendations that can help resolve the issue on both PS5 and PC:

  • Disable Cross-Platform Play: Open the Helldivers 2 settings and disable the cross-platform play feature. This can reduce server load and eliminate conflicts between different platforms;
  • Disable Anti-Aliasing: Reducing or completely disabling the Anti-Aliasing option in the graphics settings can improve game stability, especially on weaker systems;
  • Lower Graphics Settings: Reducing the quality of resolution, textures, effects, and other graphic settings can significantly increase performance and prevent crashes.

For PC users, there are additional steps that can help resolve the issue:

  1. Verify the integrity of game files through Steam. This will ensure that all game files are intact and not corrupted. To do this, right-click on Helldivers 2 in the Steam library, select Properties, go to the Local Files tab, and click Verify Integrity of Game Files.
  2. Disable in-game overlays. Steam, Discord, and other applications have their own overlays — software for video capture and providing additional features. However, they often conflict with the game. Be sure to disable them to avoid potential errors.
  3. Disable Steam Input Configuration Interface. In some cases, Steam input functions can cause various conflicts. It is worth disabling the interface in the Steam settings.
  4. Add Helldivers 2 to the antivirus and firewall exceptions list. Before launching the game, make sure that your antivirus software or firewall is not blocking the game or network access. Adding Helldivers 2 to the exceptions list can prevent unwanted interference in game processes.

Helldivers 2 crashes on AMD graphics cards

One possible cause of the game's instability is the use of specific graphics card models. In particular, owners of AMD Radeon 7000 series graphics cards often encounter crash issues. In response to gamers' complaints, AMD released the Adrenalin Edition 24.2.1 installation package, designed to optimize Helldivers 2 on these graphics cards. It offers solutions aimed at improving game stability and performance.

Delete the GameGuard folder

If installing the Adrenalin Edition 24.2.1 update package did not help, follow these steps:

  • Open the root directory of Helldivers 2 on your PC (default path Steam/Library/steamapps/common/Helldivers 2/bin);
  • Find and delete the GameGuard folder.

Run the game as administrator

To minimize the likelihood of conflicts with Windows security mechanisms, it is recommended to run Helldivers 2 as an administrator. You can do this by right-clicking on the game's executable file and selecting Run as administrator. This action can significantly improve game stability and resolve issues, especially relevant for users with AMD Radeon 7000 series graphics cards.

Update your graphics card drivers

To ensure optimal performance and compatibility of your graphics card with the latest games and software, it is important to regularly update the drivers. This will not only improve overall performance but also fix known bugs.

Download drivers from the official manufacturer's website

Visit the website of your graphics card manufacturer. In the support section, find your card model and download the latest driver version for your operating system.

Update drivers through Device Manager

Open Device Manager, go to the Display adapters section, right-click on your graphics card and select Update driver. Then follow the instructions of the update wizard.

Use special applications

Programs such as NVIDIA GeForce Experience, AMD Radeon Software, or Intel Driver & Support Assistant automatically check for updates and offer a convenient way to download and install the latest drivers.

Black screen in Helldivers 2 — how to fix?

The appearance of a black screen error in Helldivers 2 can be triggered by various factors, from simple system requirements mismatches to software conflicts. For some players, this manifests as an instant black screen after launch, while others encounter game crashes to the desktop during the loading process.

Delete the configuration file

In case of issues with graphical settings in Helldivers 2, one solution may be to reset user settings to default. To do this, navigate to C:/Users/USERNAME/AppData/Roaming/Arrowhead/Helldivers2 and delete the user_settings.config file. After this, on the next game launch, all graphical settings will automatically reset to default values, which may help resolve the technical issues encountered.

AMD Graphics Processors

For owners of AMD Radeon 7000 series graphics processors, there may be issues related to black screens and crashes when launching Helldivers 2. The development team is already investigating this error. It is assumed that until the corresponding fix is released, the gameplay may remain unstable or the game may not launch at all. Additional tips for fixing the error are described in the previous section.

NVIDIA Graphics Processors

Developers have reported that owners of NVIDIA graphics processors may also encounter black screens and crashes, especially when the image scaling feature is enabled. In case of such issues, it is recommended to go to the NVIDIA control panel and ensure that the image scaling feature is turned off.

Cannot connect in Helldivers 2 — how to fix the problem?

If you are encountering a connection error in Helldivers 2, there are both short-term and long-term methods to resolve this issue that can help restore access to the game.

Short-term solutions

  • Using a VPN. Some players have found that activating a VPN helps bypass the connection issue. You can disable it immediately after successfully launching the game.
  • Disabling cross-platform play. Reducing the number of potential connections by disabling cross-platform play can decrease the risk of connection errors for some users. Disable the feature in the settings.

Long-term solutions

  • Regularly check the official Helldivers 2 channels on Twitter and Discord for announcements about updates or server issues that may affect connectivity.
  • If the connection issue persists even when the servers are functioning normally, contact Arrowhead support with a detailed description of the platform you are using, network settings, and the error codes you are encountering. Such reports can help in quicker identification and resolution of the problem.

These tips will help minimize the impact of connection issues and ensure a more stable gaming experience in Helldivers 2.

How to fix the Reached login limit error

After the recent update in Helldivers 2, players on PC and PS5 have started encountering a new Reached login limit error. At the moment, the only known workaround is to wait for five minutes before attempting to log in again. This is because the primary cause of the error lies in server overload or technical glitches. Unfortunately, we can only wait for an effective solution from the developers.

Helldivers 2 is facing a number of technical challenges, including frequent crashes, an unoptimized matchmaking system, and stability issues. In the latest update, the developers reported fixing three of the most common issues: crashes related to particle rendering and errors in the ragdoll system. However, due to server problems, players may continue to face difficulties when trying to connect to the server, especially concerning the limit on the number of simultaneous logins.

It is expected that the developers will find a long-term solution to the problem, especially considering that the weekends, when gaming activity peaks, are just around the corner.

Failed to create (join) a lobby in Helldivers 2

At the moment, there is no definitive solution to this problem, but you can try the following steps:

  1. In the gameplay settings, disable the cross-play feature and set the Matchmaking Privacy option to Public. This action may improve the chances of successful connection, although the player community is divided between those who find this solution effective and those who have not noticed significant improvements.
  2. Creating private lobbies and playing only with friends bypasses the issue of connecting to public lobbies and ensures a more reliable gaming experience.
  3. Closing and then restarting Helldivers 2 can sometimes resolve temporary glitches and connection issues. This method does not guarantee a hundred percent success, but it has helped some players.
  4. Choosing the Quick Play option in the Galactic War section may increase the chances of successfully connecting to a game session.
  5. If joining public matches is difficult, start a mission by yourself, and then use the SOS Beacon stratagem (Up, Down, Right, Up) to open your mission to other players in quick play mode. This can increase the likelihood of other players joining your lobby.

Helldivers 2 freezes on the loading screen and ship

Many players have encountered the issue where Helldivers 2 unexpectedly freezes on the loading screen. This problem manifests in various forms: from the ship cutscene that appears when first entering the game to the moment of mission launch.

The game developers have not ignored this issue. On February 22, a patch version 1.000.11 was released aimed at resolving this problem, preventing the continuation of the game after the unfreeze moment or during the introductory ship cutscene, as specified in the update description on the Discord channel. At the moment, there are no reports of the error occurring.

Error receiving rewards (medals, experience) after completing a mission

In Helldivers 2, an issue has been identified where players, after successfully completing missions, do not receive standard rewards, including medals, experience, and others. The rewards simply do not appear in profiles after returning to the ship. Despite the system reporting the successful receipt of rewards, they do not actually show up in the inventory.

The game developers are already aware of the bug and are working on fixing it. The simplest solution in this situation is patience. Once the server issues are resolved, all the rewards that were earned will automatically appear in the player's account.

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