HELLDIVERS 2 vs Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II
Chaotic 4-player friendly fire versus reverent 3-player bolter action — both co-op shooters with different squad sizes and pacing.
Still the best chaotic 4-player co-op shooter on PC despite the playerbase falling from 458k peak to 30k after Arrowhead's balance churn.
Saves the 40K video game catalog — Space Marine 2's chunky bolter-and-chainsword co-op keeps 8-12k peak players active in 2026 with strong PvE Operations.
Steam popularity
Shared scale — sparklines are directly comparable across both games.
HELLDIVERS 2
May 2026 peak CCU 56,995 ↓ 32% MoM
All-time peak 458,208
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II
May 2026 peak CCU 32,294 ↑ 75% MoM
All-time peak 186,199
Key differences
Squad size and chaos
Helldivers 2's 4-player teams enable chaotic friendly fire and tactical stratagem coordination.
Space Marine II's 3-player squads focus on close-quarters bolter combat against Tyranid hordes.
Metagame and progression
Helldivers 2's galactic war metagame resets every Major Order, keeping the meta fresh but transient.
Space Marine II's linear campaign and grindable Operations offer a fixed, repeatable PvE loop.
Player base stability
Helldivers 2's player count fell from 458k peak to 30k after balance patches, thinning servers.
Space Marine II's smaller but stable community ensures reliable matchmaking for PvE Operations.
Which one is for you?
Pick HELLDIVERS 2 if
- You enjoy 4-player co-op with intentional friendly-fire chaos.
- You tolerate a shifting galactic war metagame with timed objectives.
- You don't mind linking a PSN account on PC.
Pick Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II if
- You prefer 3-player co-op with focused bolter and melee combat.
- You want a shorter campaign (8-12 hours) with repeatable Operations.
- You are a Warhammer 40K fan seeking detailed universe representation.
Bottom line
Choose Helldivers 2 for chaotic, larger-scale co-op with a dynamic metagame; choose Space Marine II for tighter, reverent 40K action with a stable PvE community.