Update 2/9: While I am still not able to launch the game without crashes, others are able to get it launching in Desktop Mode using Proton GE 7-49 or 7-55. For now, I would still recommend not getting it on the Steam Deck yet until there's more official word, but it sounds like it could work in some circumstances. I have yet to personally experience this myself though.
Update 2/8: It appears you can get the game running if you play in Desktop mode using Proton GE 7-49, but there are very constant stutters that make the game borderline unplayable with a connection error. This is most likely an anti-cheat error that will stop you from playing this way.
Like many others, I have some extremely fond memories of Helldivers. The original game is a ton of fun, blasting enemies through a top-down view with your friends while trying to complete missions. That and Magicka took up a lot of my time back in the day, so when Helldivers 2 was announced, I couldn't be more excited! And, while the game looks fantastic, it seems we won't be enjoying it on the Steam Deck due to a rootkit anti-cheat that is included in the game.
When it comes to anti-cheat, a lot of the ones that require root or kernel-level access tend to not work at all. This is why games like the newer Call of Duty or some online EA games refuse to work at all. Helldivers 2 is no exception and is using a similar anti-cheat called nProtect GameGuard. This is used to protect others online from cheating, which is good, but it renders any chance of playing the game on any OS other than Windows impossible, and this includes SteamOS.
When trying to launch the game with the stable and experimental Proton layer, it will automatically close. This continues on older Proton GE versions as well, but if you try to launch with Proton GE 8-29, you will be met with an error that details GameGuard failing to initialize and then brings you to a wonderful FAQ about how to possibly fix this.
While it's the right of every developer and publisher to use whatever tools they want to with their games, it's a shame that a kernel-level that doesn't support Linux/SteamOS was used. Helldivers 2 looks like an awesome game, and I have been hearing great things about it, but it seems like I won't be able to play around with it on the Steam Deck. This is a bit weird too, considering PlayStation has seemed to embrace the Steam Deck and try to make a majority of their games run with it.
As for its performance, if it was running, that is up for debate. The minimum asks for a Nvidia GTX 1050Ti GPU and a Ryzen 5 1500X CPU, so it may have trouble running anyway, but we won't be able to find out definitely unless the anti-cheat is removed. Thankfully, we shouldn't have this issue on Windows handhelds like the ROG Ally and Legion Go, so that's where I will be going next!
Helldivers 2 is now available on Steam for $39.99, but if you want to save some money, you can get it on Fanatical for $33.19.
The Fanatical link above is using an affiliate link, which gives us a little back from sales at no extra charge to you. All proceeds go back into SDHQ and its development.
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There's apparently a Proton Hotfix just released for it, which might alleviate some issues.
Don't worry, it's crashing non-stop on Windows, too.
Currently working perfectly on low settings, no compatibility proton version specified. Try launching with that disabled. Have been playing without issue for the last hour.
Connectivity is a different issue, quickPlay appears to error on connection most of the time, but eventually able to connect to a game, and then it’s fine.
Build ID: 13406551
Installed content updated: Feb 8, 6:50pm
Zero stuttering for me with proton ge 7-49. And the connection errors aren't due to playing through proton, as windows devices are having connection errors, and the developers tweeted that's its a known issue and they're working on a fix. Sounds like the writer of this article tried to get it to work, gave up, and decided posting incorrect information was the way to go...
Unfortunately, this is still the experience I am getting. The game won't launch for me 99% of the time, and it is unable to launch via Game Mode. Proton GE 7-49 didn't work at all and the one time I got in was Proton GE 7-55 and I got in, changed settings, and then it crashed. I am seeing mixed experiences, but it's hard to tell exactly what the cause is. I will happily correct my article as the situation develops and am not afraid to admit I am wrong, but there's too much variety to completely say I was wrong. I will admit that the situation is unique and that some people can play fine, while others, and myself, can't without issues.
Do you know what are causing my issues though? I would love to get it up and correct this article entirely! It looks like an amazing game and I very much want to play.
Looks like Proton GE 7-49 has some workaround and launches the game, with stability issues, but it works. I hope an official compatibility update is in progress because I don't have my Windows PC for the next 2-3 weeks.
I did see that too, but I also heard/experienced some other errors that stopped me from playing. This includes a connection error I couldn't get rid of. Hopefully, we will see a patch soon!