Helldivers 2: How to fix low FPS, freezing & stuttering issues

❘ Published: 2024-03-14T15:58:30

Arrowhead Game Studios

Helldivers 2 is no stranger to problems such as freezing, stuttering, and Low FPS on PC. So here’s how you can fix all those problems, and spread managed Democracy without interruptions.

Helldivers 2 picked up steam soon after launch and the game refuses to lose any of that momentum. The shooter’s addictive gameplay loop, packed with a variety of bugs and bots, has helped it maintain a healthy player base. But the game isn’t without its problems.

Freezing, stuttering, and Low FPS pikes are among the top complaints of PC players. While the devs have realized fixes to address these issues, the problems persist for some users.

With this in mind, we have put together a series of methods to fix all of your performance issues in Helldivers 2, alongside a step-by-step guide on how to solve each of them.

So here’s all you need to know to fix freezing, stuttering, and low FPS in Helldivers 2, including the best methods and alternative fixes.

How to fix freezing in Helldivers 2
How to fix stuttering in Helldivers 2
How to fix FPS drops in Helldivers 2

How to fix freezing in Helldivers 2

Task manager reboot method

To fix freezing in Helldivers 2, players need to follow these steps:

Close Steam from the Task Manager.
Make sure SteamBootstrapper and ClientManager are not running anymore.
Restart Steam and check if the game runs smoothly.

Rebooting the Steam Client can often fix minor freezing issues.

Reboot and check for Client errors

If this doesn’t fix it and the game keeps freezing, you need to take alternative methods. The first one involves restarting your PC and making sure every Steam process is running properly:

Restart your PC and enter the Task Manager.
Browse Steam and check if Bootstrapper, ClientManager, and your SteamClient are running properly.
Restart your game and check if it runs properly.

Alternatively, if this doesn’t work, make sure there are not several instances of Steam Client WebHelper running at the same time, as this might be the cause of the freeze.

Check Helldivers 2 file integrity

Another solution is to check the game files for corrupted data or missing files. To do that, you need to follow these steps:

Go to your Steam Library and browse for Helldivers 2.
Select the game and right-click on it.
Select ‘Properties.’
Go to ‘Installed Files.’
Then select ‘Check File Integrity.’
Wait until the process is done, restart your computer.
The problem should be fixed and you can enjoy Helldivers 2.

If this issue persists, then check your installation folder, click on Helldivers2.exe, and select Run as Administrator. If by then, the problem is solved, it might be caused by incompatible drivers, outdated GPU drivers, or Firewall conflict, so you should add Helldivers 2 to the list of Firewall exceptions:

Click on Windows, and select Settings.
On the left menu, select ‘Privacy & Security.’
Click on ‘Windows Security.’
Click on ‘Firewall and network protection,’ and then click on ‘Allow an app through firewall.’
In the pop-up menu, click on ‘Allow another App.’
Select ‘browse‘ and add the helldivers2.exe file.

Freezing might be caused due to a conflict with Windows Firewall.

How to fix stuttering in Helldivers 2

To fix stuttering in Helldivers 2, players need to keep in mind that this issue is often due to three factors: Drivers, optimization, and hardware requirements.

Check your PC Requirements

Start by checking if your current hardware is enough to run Helldivers 2 by following our guide.

Turn on Fullscreen Mode, forced Fullscreen mode

If you meet the minimum requirements to play Helldivers 2, then you need to address optimization following these steps:

Run the game.
From the Main Menu select Graphic Options.
Scroll to Screen and select Fullscreen mode.

If this doesn’t fix the problem, try this alternative method:

Open your Steam client.
Go to Library and then right-click on Helldivers 2.
Select Properties.
On the General tab, look for Launch Options.
Enter the launch option ‘fullscreen.’

This will force the engine to start in fullscreen mode, allowing you to fix the annoying stuttering caused by screen resolution conflicts.

A Helldiver putting their helmet on in Helldivers 2

Stuttering often happens when drivers are outdated.

Check for GPU outdated drivers

If the problem persists, the next thing you need to do to fix stuttering in Helldivers 2 is to check for outdated drivers in your GPU.

For NVIDIA Users:

Start Nvidia GeForce Experience.
Log In and select Drivers.
Select ‘Look for Updates.’
Select ‘Express Install.’

Let the process conclude and try if the stuttering was fixed.

For AMD Users:

Click the Start button on Windows and select Device Manager.
Expand the Display Adapters menu, and right-click on your AMD GPU.
Select Update driver.
Select ‘Search automatically for updated driver software.’

Once the process is done, try if Helldivers 2 runs properly.

How to fix FPS drops in Helldivers 2

To fix FPS drops in Helldivers 2, we need to check if performance issues are occurring, which might be caused by GPU settings or Process Priority issues:

Change GPU Settings

It is important to check if you have the proper GPU Settings to guarantee that Helldivers 2 runs smoothly. Start by checking your configuration by following these steps:

For NVIDIA Users:

Right-click on the desktop screen and select ‘Nvidia’s User Control Panel.’
Select ‘Manage 3D Settings.’
Select ‘Program Settings‘ and ‘Helldivers 2‘ (If the game is not on the list, you might need to add it manually by Browsing).
Check if the following specs are as follows:
- Monitor Tech: G-Sync
- Maximum Pre-rendered frames: 2
- Threaded optimization: On
- Power Management: Prefer Maximum Performance
- Texture Filtering – Quality: Performance

For AMD Users:

Right-click on the desktop screen and select ‘AMD Control Panel.’
Select ‘Manage 3D Settings.’
Select ‘Program Settings‘ and ‘Helldivers 2‘ (If the game is not on the list, you might need to add it manually by Browsing).
Check if the following specs are as follows:
- Monitor Tech: G-Sync
- Maximum Pre-rendered frames: 2
- Threaded optimization: On
- Power Management: Prefer Maximum Performance
- Texture Filtering – Quality: Performance

Performance issues are the main problem of Helldivers 2 in PC.

Set the game to ‘High Priority’

Setting Helldivers 2 as ‘High Priority’ in the Task Manager can fix most of the performance issues, though this would mean that you need to dedicate more PC resources to the game. Follow these steps to do so:

Run Helldivers 2 and press ‘Alt+Tab.’
Right-click on your Start Menu.
Select Task Manager (alternatively, you can press Ctrl+Alt+Del).
Select the ‘Processes‘ tab.
Select Helldivers 2 and Set Priority to High.
Close the game and reboot.

Check if your FPS issues were solved. Alternatively, you can try any of the stuttering-solving methods, as they have been reported to fix FPS drops as well.

And that’s all you need to know to fix freezing, stuttering, and low FPS on Helldivers 2. For more information on the game and guides for fixing issues, check the following links: