Does Helldivers 2 Have Split Screen Local Couch Co-op?

The recently released Helldivers 2 is a smash hit, attracting thousands of players in its first week. This third-person shooter builds around team-based co-op, letting groups tackle missions and alien hordes together.

So does Helldivers 2 support split screen couch co-op? Unfortunately, the game currently does not allow offline local co-op play.

Is There a Split-Screen in Helldivers 2?

As a visually impressive title built for large-scale chaotic battles, Helldivers 2 was designed from day one with online co-op in mind. Enabling a smooth 2 or 4-player split screen on the same system would have impacted performance on PS5 hardware. Additionally, overhauling UI elements and game systems to facilitate local play would have consumed significant development resources.

So those hoping to play on the same couch with friends will need to connect online for now. Helldivers 2 allows 2-4 players to squad up through matchmaking or private lobbies. A group can experience all content together, from story missions to intense endgame raids.

Potential Future Split Screen Updates in Helldivers 2?

While local couch co-op is not enabled on launch day, Arrowhead Games hasn't ruled out adding it via post-launch updates. As a live service title, continued long-term support for Helldivers 2 is planned.

If fan demand for split screen features grows loud enough, the developers could dedicate resources to making it happen. This would require performance optimization passes and likely reworking parts of the user interface that weren't built with couch play in mind. So while unlikely soon, split screen could still come to Helldivers 2 down the line if requested.

Smooth Online Multiplayer Launch

In the absence of local co-op, Helldivers 2 has seen incredible success with its online offering. Across PlayStation and PC platforms, thousands of players are joining co-op battles daily.

Matchmaking seamlessly groups with other duos or trios to form 2-4-player squads. Or existing friends can squad up directly through private lobby invites before missions. Helldivers 2 makes the process painless, enabling teams to coordinate loadouts and Super Earth technology before deploying into war zones.

In the heat of battle, the co-op experience is wild fun. With swarms of enemies and outright cinematic chaos raging during extractions, survival demands coordinated teamwork. Timing superweapons together and identifying enemy weaknesses as a unit leads to extremely satisfying victories.

While a local split-screen would be a nice future addition, Helldivers 2 delivers smooth online co-op action out of the box. The breadth of content will keep dedicated teams entertained for hundreds of hours at launch. And the Arrowhead Games team continues working to evolve features over time - potentially even one day enabling couch play, if demand persists.

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