Helldivers 2 CEO says they “might” consider optimizing for Steam Deck, but it’s not the number one priority
Helldivers 2 launched back in 2024 and quickly became one of the biggest hits of the year. The co-op shooter built a strong reputation for its fast-paced gameplay, chaotic battles, and teamwork-driven missions. Within months, the game built a massive player base, and right now it has over 580,000 Very Positive reviews on Steam. That number alone tells you how good it is.
But while the game runs smoothly on most platforms, the experience isn’t perfect on the Steam Deck. Helldivers 2 is marked as Playable on Valve’s handheld, which means the game works, but may require tweaks and adjustments. Even after that, the performance isn’t that great, particularly during intense combat, which is why many have been waiting for the developers to optimize the game for the handheld.
Arrowhead’s CEO talks about Steam Deck optimization
Recently, this topic came up in the official Helldivers 2 Discord community. A player asked if the developers had any plans to make the game run better on the Steam Deck. In reply, Arrowhead’s CEO, Shams Jorjani, explained that the studio’s first priority is to get the game running well on the main system requirements they target. These improvements will naturally make the Steam Deck experience better, too. He added that they “might consider formally supporting it more” after that.
For now, this means Steam Deck players shouldn’t expect a big optimization patch anytime soon. The developers are focused on making sure the game runs smoothly for the majority of players before turning their attention to handhelds.
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If Arrowhead does eventually put in more effort, the game’s Steam Deck rating could move from Playable to Verified. A Verified badge means a game works perfectly on the handheld without extra tweaks. That would be a big deal for those who want to enjoy Helldivers 2 on the go without any performance issues.
