How to fix crossplay not working in Helldivers 2

Did someone turn off crossplay at Arrowhead's HQ?

New Helldivers weapon
Image via Arrowhead

With most titles releasing on multiple platforms, crossplay has evolved into a necessity in the gaming world. But despite being fully cross-platform compatible, Helldivers 2’s crossplay stops working at times, causing confusion among the player base.

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I play Helldivers 2 with a tight-knit squad, and I’m the only non-PC player. Upon agreeing to try the game together, I thought we’d have a relatively smooth experience since Helldivers 2 is crossplay and cross-platform. Though the game doesn’t have cross-save or cross-progression, those weren’t deal-breakers, as we were simply looking to wreak havoc together.

Our efforts ran into their fair share of problems, though, since there were times when Helldivers 2’s crossplay wasn’t working properly, especially between PS5 and PC, preventing us from joining the same lobby/instance together.

How can you fix crossplay not working in Helldivers 2?

A Helldiver fires the A61 Tenderizer toward a target in Helldivers 2.
You’ve got your options. Image via Arrowhead Studios

The best way to fix the crossplay not working in Helldivers 2 is by trying to send new friend requests or game invites after turning your crossplay setting off and on. If this simple solution doesn’t resolve the issue, there are a few other methods you can try:

  • Use the game finder to join the same instances as friends: Ensure that everyone in your party has crossplay activated in Helldivers 2’s options. Choose a planet together and have someone in your party host. The remaining party members can now look for this game while making sure they’re on the same difficulty level. During this process, the host will need to kick the random players joining to make sure the session appears while searching for games.
  • Warp together: Warp to a sector with a small number of players. After doing this a couple of times, you might be able to get into your friends’ missions. This method is slightly time-consuming, though, since you’ll need to keep trying until you luck out and land on the same instance.
  • Get help from another player: If you’re unable to see or invite a specific friend, try finding a third player who can see both of you on their friends list. This mutual friend can act as a bridge and invite everyone into the same lobby, allowing players who couldn’t previously see each other to join the same instance, effectively bypassing the crossplay problem.
A Heldiver is silhouetted on a planetary flag in Helldivers 2.
Crossplay is a necessity for harmony. Image via Arrowhead Studios

Even players on the same platform have reported problems as there were times when Helldivers 2’s Friends List wasn’t working. This situation also caused friend requests to stop working, damaging the game’s social features until Arrowhead intervened.

While Helldivers 2‘s multiplayer experience has significantly improved since its launch, occasional hiccups in crossplay and other online features can still occur. The fixes mentioned above can help players connect when crossplay isn’t functioning as intended, but these problems are often temporary.

Crossplay and multiplayer problems often stem from server overload, particularly during peak playing hours when the game sees a surge in player numbers. In most cases, these errors can also resolve themselves after waiting a few minutes.


Author
Image of Gökhan Çakır
Gökhan Çakır
Gökhan is a Staff Writer and Fortnite Lead at Dot Esports. Gökhan graduated as an industrial engineer in 2020 and has since been with Dot Esports. As a natural-born gamer, he honed his skills to a professional level in Dota 2. Upon giving up on the Aegis of Champions in 2019, Gökhan started his writing career, covering all things gaming, while his heart remains a lifetime defender of the Ancients.