Players with Older CPUs Blocked from Accessing 'Helldivers 2'

In a surprising turn of events, players of the online shooter 'Helldivers 2' are facing access issues due to a recent change in the game's system requirements. The developers, Arrowhead Games, have implemented a restriction that prevents users with older CPUs from launching the game. This alteration has left many players frustrated, especially those who have been able to play the game without issues for months.

Reports indicate that the game's launch now includes a check for support of the AVX2 vector instruction set. If a player's CPU does not support AVX2, which was introduced by Intel's Haswell generation in 2013 and by AMD's Excavator family in 2015, the game will not run. This change primarily affects processors that are over a decade old, raising concerns among a segment of the gaming community.

Despite the backlash, a community manager from Arrowhead has communicated through Discord, indicating that a solution is being developed. However, the rationale behind this sudden enforcement remains unclear. Initially, community moderators justified the CPU block by stating that these older processors did not meet the minimum requirements. The situation is perplexing, given that 'Helldivers 2' had been functioning adequately on these systems since its release.

The ambiguity surrounding this update has led to speculation about whether Arrowhead intended to enforce this limitation or if it was a mistake that has since been recognized. As of now, there is no timeline provided for when users with older CPUs can expect to regain access to the game.

Interestingly, 'Helldivers 2' is not alone in this regard. The recently launched 'Civilization 7' also mandates AVX2 support from processors. However, unlike 'Helldivers 2', 'Civilization 7' was never operational on older hardware, which tempered the reaction from its player base. These incidents serve as a reminder that hardware requirements should be taken seriously and that developers need to communicate changes effectively to avoid unnecessary frustration among players.