Space Marine 2 is Facing the Same Issue That Nearly Broke Helldivers 2

Since its release, Space Marine 2 has received an impressive reception. Its large player base is bolstered by strong support from Saber Interactive. It’s a success story, one that we’ve all seen many times this past year.

Perhaps what none of us would have expected, though, is that a rather interesting problem is beginning to rear its ugly mug in the game—one that another success story of the year, Helldivers 2, should be all too familiar with.

Players are starting to ignore the side content in Space Marine 2

Let’s get one thing out of the way: although the two games are some of this year’s biggest successes, the similarities between the two titles end at a surface level.

Both games share a setting of galactic warfare, focuses on cooperative gameplay, and have a very fast-paced structure of killing hordes of monsters. But really, that’s about where the comparisons end.

However, and rather amazingly, the overlap in the cooperative side of things has also brought about a similar issue in both games, one that you really wouldn’t expect to show up in Space Marine 2: disruptive player behavior.

Arrowhead’s video game first experienced this problem. As players grew familiar with the game’s mechanics, many began rushing through missions, skipping side objectives, and even abandoning their teammates in the middle of battles.

Not only that, but for an online space meant for cooperation, it was demotivating to see high-level players often dominating lobbies, speed-running to the finish line, and leaving others behind.

It became a problem so big that entire teams were disbanded mid-game, either by frustrated players quitting or being kicked out by impatient teammates. This forced Arrowhead to take drastic measures to ensure that all players would properly engage with the core gameplay, which is also what led to the game’s decline—more on that later.

Now, we’re seeing the problem emerge in Space Marine 2. Players are rushing through missions, avoiding enemy encounters, and prioritizing speed over teamwork. People are also finding themselves fighting groups of enemies by themselves, only to realize that their teammates are already halfway through the mission.

This growing trend is making it difficult for players who want to enjoy the full experience. Instead, they are forced to keep up with speedrunners who are already too bored with the game’s offerings and risk getting left behind.

Can Space Marine 2 Avoid the months of agony that Helldivers 2 faced?

There’s a lot of speculation to be made here, especially considering that there is some community overlap as well. What’s possible, if that really is the case, is that the same group of players in both games continue to cause this issue.

Many players who spent months grinding in Helldivers 2 have probably now transitioned to Space Marine 2 or juggling between the two games, potentially carrying over the same habits.

This could very well explain why we’re seeing similar issues crop up in both games, particularly among higher-level players who are too unbelievably focused on efficiency rather than immersion.

Now, Arrowhead made some costly mistakes in attempting to fix this problem. Its solution was to introduce balancing changes that, while aiming to curb speed-running and sabotage this behavior, ended up frustrating a significant portion of the player base.

Some of these changes made the game less enjoyable for casual players, and balancing issues persisted for months, further alienating the community. It is only now, nearly a quarter of a year later, that the game has regained its momentum.

With all that said, the hope now is that Saber Interactive will manage to avoid the same mistakes and handle the issue with a high level of nuance. Perhaps by introducing incentives for cooperative play or limiting the ability to rush through missions, Space Marine 2 can maintain its success without alienating a large part of its player base.

If Saber stumbles, the game risks following in the footsteps of Helldivers 2, which might also continue to grapple with the aftermath of its own player rebellion.

With all that said, what are your thoughts on Space Marine 2’s current state? Do you find yourself ignoring objectives and enemies in the game at higher levels? Let us know in the comments below.