Helldivers 2 2024 Surprise Hit Community Updates and Gaming Impact

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Helldivers 2, the explosive co-op shooter that stormed the charts in early 2024, just got its biggest price drop yet-now 17% off and more accessible than ever for those ready to join the chaotic war for Super Earth. If you missed the initial frenzy, this rare sale is your perfect chance to dive into one of the year’s most surprising and relentlessly entertaining hits.

If you’re ready to join Super Earth’s first line of offense and enlist in the Helldivers, you can save 17% on Helldivers 2 at Green Man Gaming when you use the code FEB17 at checkout. There’s no shortage of other fantastic gaming deals this weekend, including a trio of Humble bundles featuring Destiny 2, Street Fighter, and more. The entire Doom franchise is also discounted by 76% on Steam.

As we do every weekend, we’re providing you with our favorite deals from the worlds of gaming and entertainment, plus the scoop on the best-selling products that have made a recent appearance on our site.


The best gaming deals this week

If you’re looking to score big savings on top games this week, there’s no better time to shop than now. The PlayStation Store’s Days of Play sale is offering up to 50% off on hit PS5 titles like Astro Bot, Demon’s Souls, and God of War Ragnarok, with many deals matched by major retailers until June 11. PC gamers can also find deep discounts, including a rare price drop on Helldivers 2-one of 2024’s breakout hits-now available for around 17-20% off its usual price, making it the perfect moment to jump into this acclaimed co-op shooter. Whether you play on console or PC, this week’s deals deliver some of the lowest prices of the year on both new releases and fan favorites.

It’s no secret that Helldivers 2 has infected the internet with its love of liberty, democracy, and friendly fire (its myriad networking issues are, sadly, just as well known). If you’re ready to join the fight to keep Super Earth safe, you can get a copy for Windows PC via Steam at Green Man Gaming for $33.19 when you use the code FEB17 at checkout. (was $39.99). Helldivers 2 is a must-play for fans of co-op shooters, playing rock-paper-scissors with other players, or for folks who love the satirical tones of the Starship Troopers film.

Helldivers 2

$33$4018% off $33 $33 at Green Man Gaming$40 at PlayStation$40 at Walmart

Humble has been knocking out of the park lately. Its current trio of awesome game bundles all cost $20 or less, support some great charities, and will be available well into next week. If you want to test your brain, we recommend checking out the $15 Mind-Bending Masterpiece bundle which includes puzzle games like The Witness, The Talos Principle, Manifold Garden, Superliminal, and three more excellent titles.

Humble Mind-Bending Masterpiece Bundle

$15 $15 $15 at Humble

The last expansion for Destiny 2, The Final Shape, doesn’t launch until Jun. 4, which means you’ve still got plenty of time to catch up on its massive catalog of content. Thankfully, there’s a way to do this without shelling out a bunch of cash The Story so Far Bundle is just $20 you’ll get access to every major expansion for Destiny 2, including Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, The Witch Queen, and Lightfall. You’ll also get access to the smaller content drops like the Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack, and The Forsaken Pack, making this bundle the easiest way to get into Destiny 2. For an additional $20 you’ll also get access to the Lightfall annual pass, which includes all of the special missions and dungeons that have been added since Lightfall’s launch.

Destiny 2 – The Story So Far bundle

$20 $20 $20 at Humble

Finally, you can get access to every mainline Street Fighter game, a 34% off coupon for Street Fighter 6 on Steam, and over 50 other classic Capcom titles for $20 with the Capcom Cup Bundle. The centerpiece of this bundle is Capcom Arcade Stadium and Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium, which serve as hubs for the classic coin-op games featured in this bundle like Commando, Ghosts ’n Goblins, Knights of the Round, and many more.

While the Capcom Arcade Stadium duo includes the majority of the games in the Street Fighter franchise, you’ll also get access to the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, which features most iterations of Street Fighter from 1987 to 1999, including the Street Fighter Alpha trilogy.

Humble Capcom Cup Bundle

$20 $20 $20 at Humble

Right now, you can get a comprehensive collection of every game in the Legendary Doom franchise for just $27.36. This massive bundle normally goes for $114.94 and includes the classic and enhanced versions of the original Doom trilogy in addition to the lesser-known Doom 64, originally released exclusively for the Nintendo 64 back in 1997.

What makes this bundle an especially good deal is that it includes the 2016 version of Doom, which brought the game back into the limelight with its brutal melee kills, fast combat, and a heavy-metal soundtrack composed by the incomparable Mick Gordon. The deluxe edition of Doom Eternal, the follow-up to Doom 2016, is also packaged in this bundle alongside its two-part Ancient Gods DLC, the classic Doom sounds pack, and the Demonic Slayer cosmetic skin.

Doom Franchise Bundle

$27$11577% off $27 $27 at Steam

For those who didn’t see this deal earlier in the week, Dell is offering a complementary $75 gift card when you purchase a Nintendo Switch OLED. The Nintendo handheld is priced at its usual $349.99, but you’ll get the same one-year Nintendo warranty, and the gift card can be spent on a variety of games and accessories available through Dell, including Super Mario Bros. Wonder or the Astro A10 Gen 2 wired headset. The gift card is delivered via email within 20 days of your purchase and is valid at the Dell store up to 90 days after you get it.

Nintendo Switch OLED

$349 $349

The Nintendo Switch OLED upgrades the handheld console with better audio, a 7-inch OLED display, and an improved kickstand.

Read More $350 at GameStop$350 at Best Buy$349 at Amazon


The top-selling stuff on AELGAMES this week

Helldivers 2 continues to dominate the charts on AELGAMES this week, riding high on its reputation as one of 2024’s biggest multiplayer hits and now boosted by a rare 17% discount. The game’s explosive co-op action and satirical sci-fi setting have kept it among the most played titles on both PlayStation and PC, with its first major sale drawing in even more players. Alongside Helldivers 2, other top-selling titles this week include recent releases like Death Stranding 2: On The Beach and Mario Kart World, both of which are generating significant buzz following their June launches. This mix of blockbuster shooters and fresh releases is driving strong sales momentum on the platform.


The best entertainment deals this week

Helldivers 2, one of 2024’s breakout hits, is available at a rare 17% discount this week, making it the perfect time to jump into the galactic battle for democracy. The Standard Edition drops to $33.19, while the Super Citizen Edition is down to $49.79, both offering significant savings for new recruits eager to join the fight. With deals like this being uncommon for such a popular and recently released co-op shooter, fans and newcomers alike can snag one of the year’s best-reviewed games at a bargain price before the offer ends.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to jump into the Pokémon TCG, Amazon is currently discounting the Paldean Fates Elite Trainer Box. Normally $54.99, this box full of booster packs, card sleeves, and other goodies is discounted to $39.92. Each Elite Trainer box includes a total of nine Paldean Fates booster packs, 45 energy cards, 65 card sleeves, six damage counter dice, a pair of status counters, a coin-flip die, and to top it all off, a single full-art foil promo code featuring shiny Mimikyu.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet – Paldean Fates Elite Trainer Box

$40$5527% off $40 $40 at Amazon$50 at GameStop$50 at Best Buy

The core HeroQuest tabletop game system and its associated expansions are discounted at both GameStop and Amazon, with some options on sale for their lowest price ever. The basic second-edition core set contains everything you need to start playing this classic, action-oriented dungeon crawler, and comes packaged with a wealth of unpainted miniatures of monsters and heroes, plus thematic set dressing. Normally $134.99, the core set can be picked up from GameStop for just $66.48. The deal isn’t quite as tempting at Amazon (about $83), but it’s nevertheless a steep discount.

If you’re looking for even more ways to enjoy HeroQuest, GameStop is also discounting a pair of expansions. Both the Kellar’s Keep and Return of the Witch Lord quest packs are currently discounted to just $21.99 (normally $33.99). Each quest pack contains new narrative-driven adventures in addition to a number of new miniatures and map tiles that can be used to build out your own original campaigns.

Other expansions are on sale at Amazon; both The Mage of the Mirror and The Frozen Horror quest packs are discounted to around $33 each (normally $44.99). Just like the other HeroQuest expansions, you’ll find a collection of new miniatures, spells, and quests to enhance your experience.

HeroQuest Game System (2021)

$66$13551% off $66 $66 at GameStop$83 at Amazon

HeroQuest Kellar’s Keep

$21$3438% off $21 $21 at GameStop

HeroQuest: Return of The Witch Lord

$21$3438% off $21 $30 at Amazon$21 at GameStop

HeroQuest: The Frozen Horror

$33$4527% off $33 $33 at Amazon

HeroQuest: The Mage of the Mirror

$33$4527% off $33 $33 at Amazon

Target is offering a $10 gift card when you purchase select Lego sets over $50 this weekend, including some models that are already discounted. Some of the more tempting models included in this deal are the Lego Star Wars AT-TE Walker, the Lego DeLorean from Back to the Future complete with minifigs of Marty and Doc Brown. However, if you were going to buy just one, we’d recommend our personal favorite, the Lego Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block, which serves as a massive 2,064piece tribute to one of the best games of the 64-bit era.

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Lego AT-TE Walker

$112$14020% off $112 $140 at Lego$113 at Target$112 at Amazon

LEGO Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block

$200 $200 $200 at Lego

Why is Helldivers 2 considered one of 2024’s biggest surprises

Helldivers 2 is considered one of 2024’s biggest surprises due to its explosive commercial success, unique gameplay, and strong community engagement. The game sold more than 12 million copies within its first three months, making it PlayStation’s fastest-selling video game and far surpassing expectations for a sequel from an independent developer.

Its appeal stems from a combination of factors:

  • Fresh Take on Co-op Gameplay: Unlike many live service games that focus on PvP, Helldivers 2 offers a fun, chaotic PvE experience where players must cooperate to survive, leading to memorable and often hilarious moments with friendly fire and teamwork mishaps.

  • Player-Driven Narrative: The game features an evolving, community-driven story where players’ collective actions shape the galactic war, making each session feel meaningful and dynamic.

  • Constant Updates and Community Spirit: Regular updates and a responsive development team kept the experience fresh and helped turn initial mixed reviews into overwhelmingly positive feedback, with the user score jumping from 19% to 94% in just two months.

  • Unexpected Market Impact: In a crowded market, Helldivers 2 stood out by becoming the best-selling premium game of 2024 and maintaining high player counts, even months after launch.

This combination of commercial triumph, innovative design, and community-driven storytelling is why Helldivers 2 is widely regarded as one of the year’s most surprising and influential hits.

How did Helldivers 2’s initial reception change over time to boost its success

Helldivers 2’s initial reception was a mix of excitement and skepticism, with early concerns about live service elements, microtransactions, and server stability dampening some enthusiasm at launch. However, the game’s fortunes changed dramatically as Arrowhead Game Studios responded quickly to feedback-improving server capacity, addressing gameplay balance, and openly communicating with players about upcoming updates and fixes.

This active engagement led to a notable turnaround: Steam review scores, which had dipped to “Mixed” during early technical troubles, rebounded to “Very Positive” as the player experience improved and word-of-mouth spread across social media and gaming communities. The studio’s commitment to regular updates, meaningful rebalancing, and transparency about design decisions helped rebuild trust and excitement, fueling continued sales growth and keeping Helldivers 2 in the spotlight long after its launch.

In summary, Helldivers 2’s success was boosted by the developers’ responsiveness to community concerns, frequent updates, and a strong focus on maintaining a fun, rewarding co-op experience, which together transformed initial skepticism into lasting popularity.

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Sophie McEvoy

As a freelance gaming and entertainment writer here in the UK, my passion for games started early. It all began when my cousin passed down their treasured Pikachu edition GameBoy Color, and I’ve been hooked on Pokémon ever since. When I’m not writing

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