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If you are also receiving this message, we’re here to help. Read on to learn how to fix the ‘Failed to Establish Connection’ error in Helldivers 2.
Helldivers 2 is an online game so it’s bound to have some connection issues. It had some server problems right from the get-go, but they have been mostly dealt with. But, some connection problems still happen, for one reason or another. The error message ‘Failed to Establish Connection’ may appear, preventing you from playing Helldivers 2, so let’s see how to fix it.
Helldivers 2: How to Fix ‘Failed to Establish Connection’ Error
The most probable reason you get the ‘Failed to Establish Connection’ message is because of Steam’s regular maintenance. Every Thursday, around 23:00h GMT, Steam performs its regular maintenance. This will kick all active Helldivers out of their games, and any attempt to start a new one will result in ‘Failed to Establish Connection’.
The maintenance usually lasts somewhere between 10 and 30 minutes, and once it’s done, you can continue playing. The worst part is that you’ll lose your mission progress and have to start all over again.
Workarounds to Fix ‘Failed to Establish Connection’ Error in Helldivers 2
In case you still receive this error message, unrelated to Steam’s Tuesday maintenance, these fixes may help you overcome this issue.
- Restart the Game – a simple restart of the game can fix this issue, so try that first. Quit the game, give it a couple of minutes, and try playing it again.
- Network Connection Issues – It may be that your network connection is having troubles and that’s causing this error message to appear. If you notice that your internet is behaving strangely, you can try restarting your router and modem. Next, if you’re using a wireless connection, you can try switching to a cable connection. That will increase the stability of your connection. Lastly, if you are using a third-party VPN, disable it and try playing Helldivers 2 with your regular connection.
- Network Reset – resetting your network may be the solution to this problem. To do so, open your Command Prompt as administrator (to find it, type ‘command prompt’ in your search bar). Then, type ‘netsh winsock reset’ and press Enter. Next, type ‘netsh int ip reset all’, then ‘netsh winhttp reset proxy’, and finally ‘ipconfig /flushdns’. Restart your PC and try playing HD2 again.
If none of these solutions have worked for you, you can contact Arrowhead’s support team, or simply wait it out. Maybe the servers are experiencing some temporary errors and will be fine in a couple of minutes.
For more Helldivers 2 articles, check out How to Fix Friend Request Not Working, Best Grenades in Helldivers 2 Tier List, and Helldivers 2: What is the Current Major Order and Reward.