Run the test above for at least 60 seconds. Here is what each
number means for this game specifically.
Red lines (packet loss)
In a peer squad, loss on your side is what makes you rubber-band while everyone else moves normally. It is also the most common reason a host migration fails to include you.
Jitter (stability)
Jitter makes enemies swarm unevenly, which matters when a breach spawns dozens of them at once. A stable connection to a distant host beats an unstable one to a near host.
Ping (latency)
Your ping is to the host, not to a data centre, so it changes with every squad. A good result here is the ceiling your line can offer; the actual mission depends on who is hosting.
What you see in game, and which number on this page explains it.
Helldivers 2 missions are not run on dedicated servers. One player in the squad hosts the mission and everyone else connects to that machine, while Arrowhead's infrastructure handles matchmaking, progression and the galactic war around it. That single architectural fact explains most of what players find confusing about the game's connection behaviour.
It explains why your ping changes from mission to mission: you are measuring the route to another household, not to a data centre, and that household moves every time you join a new squad. It explains why a mission can be flawless and the next one unplayable with no change on your end. And it explains why hosting yourself often feels better than joining - if your line is the good one in the group, putting it in the middle is the correct choice.
It also explains host migration. When the host leaves mid-mission, the game attempts to hand the mission to another player. That transfer can fail, and when it does the remaining squad is disconnected while the new host carries on. This is a designed behaviour rather than a symptom of a bad connection, and no amount of local network tuning prevents it.
What your own measurement still tells you is whether you are the weak link. Peer connections have no infrastructure in the middle absorbing jitter, so a wireless link that behaves acceptably against a dedicated server can be visibly unstable here. If this chart shows loss, you are the player everyone else is complaining about - and if it is clean while joined missions still stutter, you are not.
If the chart above shows packet loss or high jitter, work through
these in order.
Does Helldivers 2 use dedicated servers?
Not for missions. One player hosts and the others connect to them; Arrowhead's servers handle matchmaking and progression around that peer connection.
What happens during a host migration?
If the host leaves mid-mission, the game hands hosting to another player. When migration fails, the remaining squad is disconnected while the new host keeps playing.
Why is my ping different in every mission?
Because you are measuring the distance to another player, not to a data centre. The host changes with every squad, and so does your latency.
What tick rate does Helldivers 2 run at?
There is no server tick rate to quote - the effective rate is whatever the hosting player's machine sustains. We send 30 packets per second as a working figure.