HELLDIVERS 2 vs Split Fiction
Choose chaotic 4-player alien slaying or genre-hopping buddy adventure; one offers deep co-op strategy, the other a tight, varied narrative.
Still the best chaotic 4-player co-op shooter on PC despite the playerbase falling from 458k peak to 30k after Arrowhead's balance churn.
Hazelight's wildest co-op yet — Split Fiction trades It Takes Two's gentle tone for genre-hopping chaos, and it's their best game in years.
Steam popularity
Shared scale — sparklines are directly comparable across both games.
HELLDIVERS 2
May 2026 peak CCU 56,995 ↓ 32% MoM
All-time peak 458,208
Split Fiction
May 2026 peak CCU 14,259 ↓ 4% MoM
All-time peak 258,641
Key differences
Player count
HELLDIVERS 2 thrives on four-player chaos with mandatory friendly fire and AI enemies.
Split Fiction is strictly co-op only for two players, with no AI companion option.
Gameplay loop
HELLDIVERS 2 features a persistent galactic war meta with randomized missions and stratagem cooldowns.
Split Fiction offers a 12-15 hour story with entirely new mechanics in each chapter.
Challenge type
HELLDIVERS 2 tests strategic loadouts and teamwork against AI, not competitive players.
Split Fiction presents diverse challenges like bullet-hell and dragon riding, not deep mechanical refinement.
Which one is for you?
Pick HELLDIVERS 2 if
- You want chaotic 4-player co-op with friendly fire
- You enjoy strategic loadouts and cooldown-based abilities
- You don't mind a game focused on AI opposition
Pick Split Fiction if
- You have a dedicated co-op partner for short sessions
- You prefer a tightly-paced narrative experience
- You enjoy rapid mechanical variety over depth
Bottom line
HELLDIVERS 2 is for groups seeking constant, emergent chaos. Split Fiction is for pairs wanting a curated, mechanically diverse narrative adventure.