Summary
Two indie games on Steam recently tried to scam players into thinking they were actually buyingHelldivers 2.Since it launched on February 8, the third-person shooter developed by Arrowhead Game Studios has experienced unforeseen success, so much so that servers are frequently at max capacity and there are extremely long wait times to play.The problem became so extreme thatHelldivers 2players even stopped logging outto avoid having to wait in the queue again.
This resulted inHelldivers 2’s Steam rating temporarily dropping from “Very Positive” to “Mixed,” though it has since recovered. Arrowhead has already increased server capacity more than once to attempt to accommodate the steady influx of players, but the game’s extreme popularity has proven challenging for the indie developer.
Of course, some people have seen thesuccess ofHelldivers 2as a way to take advantage of unwary consumers. Early on March 1, two indie games on Steam were disguised asHelldivers 2, with most external indicators successfully hiding their true identity. The game titles, metadata, descriptions, screenshots, and even developer and publisher information was changed to matchHelldivers 2. The listings were removed fairly quickly by Steam, but probably not beforeFiguralityby developer SoleOnBoard Studio andDo Not Smileby Whithole Games lured in a few people with their $12.49 and $19.99 price tags.
How to Spot a Helldivers 2 Scam on Steam
According to SteamDB, as shared by Twitter account Wario64, the two disguised games were both added to Steam on the same date, June 25, 2025, and their information was edited at around the same time on March 1. This strongly implies that the two games are owned by the same person.
If a similar situation arises in the future, one way to discern if the game is a fake is by looking at the breadcrumb menu above the game title on Steam.Helldivers 2was published by PlayStation PC LLC, and so its menu trail at the top of the page should be:All Games > Action Games > PlayStation Studios Franchise > HELLDIVERS 2. The breadcrumb menus for the fraudulent games did not mention PlayStation Studios Franchise. The extremely low number of reviews were another indicator of the fake game listings, and the prices could also serve as a clue.Helldivers 2sells for $39.99, and considering it just launched on February 8, it’s unlikely that it would receive a 50 or 75% discount.
It is somewhat alarming that Steam didn’t seem to have safeguards in place to prevent random developers from completely misleading consumers by changing key data like the developer and publisher names. And clicking on the publisher name on the fraudulent pages actually took users to the real PlayStation Studios page on Steam. The situation is reminiscent of an incident in February 2021, when thedeveloper and publisher names ofEmoji Evolutionwere both changed to “Very Positive”to dupe customers. The developer behind that scam was promptly banned from Steam.
Helldivers 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Do you believe in freedom? Can you stand in the face of oppression – and defend the defenceless? Wage war for peace. Die for democracy.Join forces with up to three friends and wreak havoc on an alien scourge threatening the safety of your home planet, Super Earth, in this multiplayer co-op shooter for PS5 and PC from Arrowhead Game Studios.Step into the boots of the Helldivers, an elite class of soldiers whose mission is to spread peace, liberty and Managed Democracy using the biggest, baddest and most explosive tools in the galaxy.Helldivers don’t go planet side without proper backup, but it’s up to you to decide how and when to call it in. Not only do you have a host of superpowered primary weapons and customizable loadouts, you also have the ability to call on stratagems during play.Helldivers 2 features Arrowhead’s best cooperative gameplay yet. Collaboration will be vital: Teams will synergize on loadouts, strategize their approach for each mission and complete objectives together.1Enlist in Super Earth’s premier military peacekeeping force today. We are heroes… we are legends… WE ARE HELLDIVERS.
