Helldivers 2 Sees A Surge In Negative Reviews: What Is Going On With The Galactic War?

The past few days have seen a pretty sudden jump in negative Steam reviews for Helldivers 2. This seems to be tied to some confusion around the game's ongoing Galactic War. It looks like a mix-up in the Chinese version of the game might have fueled claims that developer Arrowhead is just making up the war numbers to guide the story to a certain end. But some players also seem to have forgotten how war works, even in a video game.

As I am writing this, Helldivers 2 has received over 2,600 negative reviews today, May 29. That is a lot more than the 301 negative reviews posted on May 28 when this whole situation started to pick up. This new number is about 40 times more than the game had been getting in negative reviews over the past few weeks. Just 62 negative reviews appeared on May 27 before all this kicked off. It is quite a change in player sentiment.

If you look through the current reviews especially if you turn off Steam’s language filter you will see many are from Chinese users. Among these, and even in some English reviews, a specific number keeps popping up: 99.9783%. This number has become a rallying cry for these players. This situation is a bit tricky for what we call a "review bomb." It was clearly coordinated with some reviews coming from users who have barely played the game. Or it has at least grown into a movement working under one banner. But this player behavior was seemingly motivated by what happened inside the game. This is different from a developer’s action outside the game usually causing a review bomb.

Understanding The 99.9783% Issue Driving Recent Helldivers 2 Player Frustration

How A Small Number Led To A Big Backlash In The Galactic War Narrative

In the constant fight to defend Super Earth, Helldivers 2 players have been told to protect some key cities. So far, they have mostly failed. Now there are only two cities left. Arrowhead sent out an emergency broadcast saying these are Equality-On-Sea and Prosperity City. Equality-On-Sea has been called "Super China" by the community because it is a nod to Shanghai which means "upon the sea." Prosperity City is also very important.

Equality-On-Sea has been under attack for a while. Players, including a large group of Chinese players, successfully fought hard to keep the Illuminate forces away. The city was, or had been, sitting pretty at, you guessed it, 99.9783% defended. The problem is that the "for now" part of this defense seems to have been misunderstood. Or perhaps it was lost in translation somehow. The war efforts in Helldivers 2 can play out in a few ways. Sometimes you are just waiting for a timer to run out. Other times you can win by fully taking over a planet. The defense of Equality-On-Sea is part of the bigger Illuminate push for Super Earth. So as long as that invasion keeps going, and it very much is, the city will stay under threat. That is how war works, or at least how this war works. The Illuminate basically broke into our house, and we pushed them outside, but they are still ringing the doorbell.

Here is where it gets a bit confusing. According to reports from several players including a detailed statement from a self-described level 150 Chinese Helldiver named Valkyri_Yukikaze the mission goal for the Equality-On-Sea defense was partly mistranslated in the Chinese version of Helldivers 2. Valkyri_Yukikaze wrote that they were posting because they were tired of seeing Reddit filled with hate against the Chinese Helldiver community. Instead of being shown as an ongoing tug-of-war, it was apparently suggested that the city could be completely taken back with enough effort. This is why players were chanting "99.9783%." They were clearly angry that no matter what they did, they could not get the city to be 100% free and safe. But again, this is because the war is not over. And really, neither is this specific fight.

Concerns About Arrowhead Steering The Helldivers 2 Story And Past Player Backlash

Comparing This Current Situation To Previous Controversies And Why Players Are Feeling Frustrated

On top of all this, the continued fall of Super Earth cities has brought back old accusations. Players are saying Arrowhead is faking the numbers to make certain Galactic War outcomes more likely. Or to make them impossible to change to fit the story and set up plot twists. One popular idea right now is that this story was always going to end with a big fight at Prosperity City no matter what players did. This does not really match what has been happening but conspiracy theories do not always need perfect logic. This complaint has always felt like a misunderstanding to me.

I still do not understand why people are surprised or annoyed that the game’s Game Master is acting like a Game Master. It makes sense for them to throw some curveballs. But the fact that getting to 100% on Equality-On-Sea is impossible, not because of GM Joel’s unseen hand but because of how the Illuminate invasion works, might have given these unhappy players a new reason to complain. Other reports are mixed. There is a lot of harsh language going around, with talks of nationalism and theories about new players getting caught in this mess. The important thing is that the idea of the game "being review bombed for not letting players liberate Equality-On-Sea" has spread across the Helldivers 2 community, especially on Reddit. When I saw the big red line on Steam I wanted to find out where it came from.

In fairness, that does not seem to be the whole story. But it all feels very unnecessary no matter why it started. Even if we assume everything was just an honest misunderstanding from a mistranslation, it is still a shame. We probably have better things to do with our time, like fighting a galactic war. This is not the first time Helldivers 2 has faced review bombing. Back in May 2024, thousands of negative reviews flooded in because of a PlayStation Network account requirement. This was a much bigger problem. While this current wave of negative reviews is significant, it is still smaller than that earlier event. The game has had its ups and downs with its player base.

What Does This Mean For The Future Of Helldivers 2 And Its Community?

Looking At The Ongoing Storyline And The Players' Role In The Galactic War

Even with the constant flow of new content for the game, some fans are naturally curious about what comes next. The good news is that Helldivers 2 remains a top priority for Arrowhead Game Studios. The CEO Shams Jorjani recently mentioned a new project in the works called Game 6. But this is not something for Helldivers 2 fans to worry about any time soon. The game continues to be a focus. The ongoing Galactic War is a huge draw for players. It creates exciting, shared stories that unfold over time. This makes the game feel alive and players feel like they are truly part of something big.

Players are, generally, understandablely frustrated. This should be a high point in Helldivers 2 history. It is the end of a long story and one of the coolest things Arrowhead has created in the game. I have spent time playing on Super Earth myself, and it is truly amazing. Arrowhead has done a great job of making players feel like they are really holding out in these Mega Cities as huge, scary Illuminate forces attack. This kind of event creates a strong sense of teamwork and shared experience. It brings players together even across different countries.

Because so much of this is tied to national identity, the earlier sense of international friendship has been a bit spoiled. Even as players, moderators, and fan accounts have told everyone not to get involved in the argument, it has put a sour taste on an otherwise incredible moment. As I write this, Helldivers are still fighting across Equality-On-Sea and Prosperity City. Equality-On-Sea still has the higher defense percentage. It looks like the battle for Super Earth is going into its final stage. The current goal is simple: Hold Super Earth. Hopefully, players can still win and celebrate the good in all this. The community has shown it can overcome challenges before.