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First-time setup

The first time DDMM starts, it checks whether your settings are valid. On a completely fresh install (or whenever the game path becomes invalid — say, after moving your Steam library), the game path starts out empty, so DDMM tries to help before bothering you about it:

  1. It looks for a Helldivers 2 install via Steam automatically — checking common Steam install locations, every library Steam knows about, and Helldivers 2's own install manifest.
  2. If that finds a valid install, DDMM fills in and saves Game Path for you, shows a "Found Helldivers 2 at ..." notification, and you go straight to the Mods page — no Settings visit needed.
  3. If it doesn't find anything (Steam isn't installed, the game isn't installed, or it's somewhere auto-detection doesn't check), you're sent to the Settings page to set it yourself.

Setting the Game Path by hand

If you land on Settings, fill in Game Path — the folder your Helldivers 2 install lives in. For a default Steam install this looks like:

Steam/steamapps/common/Helldivers 2/

Two ways to fill it in without typing the full path:

  • Auto-detect — runs the same Steam lookup described above, on demand. Useful if you install Helldivers 2 after first starting DDMM, or if the automatic check on startup didn't find it for some reason.
  • Browse... — opens a normal folder picker.

DDMM validates the folder as you type, and won't let you leave the Settings page until it's valid. It checks that the path:

  • exists,
  • contains a tools directory,
  • contains a data directory, and
  • contains a bin directory, which in turn contains helldivers2.exe (in any letter case).

Picked a folder one level off? That's fine: if you choose the game's own data, bin or tools folder (or bin/helldivers2.exe itself), or a folder above it — steamapps/common, steamapps, or the Steam library folder — DDMM finds the real Helldivers 2 folder, shows "Using the game folder: ..." under the field, and saves that.

If the checks fail, DDMM tells you exactly which one, right under the field:

Message Meaning
Game path can not be empty! Nothing entered yet
Game path does not exist! ... The folder itself wasn't found (check for typos)
Game path is a file, not a folder! ... You picked a file rather than the Helldivers 2 folder
DDMM isn't allowed to read this folder: ... The OS refused access (permissions, or a drive that isn't mounted properly); the OS's own error follows
This is a temporary desktop-portal path ... The folder picker handed back a /run/user/.../doc/... path (Linux); type or paste the real path
Game path does not contain a directory named "tools"! Not a Helldivers 2 install folder
Game path does not contain a directory named "data"! Not a Helldivers 2 install folder
Game path does not contain a directory named "bin"! Not a Helldivers 2 install folder
Game path's "bin" directory does not contain the "helldivers2.exe"! bin exists, but the game executable doesn't
Couldn't check the game path: ... The check itself failed; the reason follows

On Linux, see also Troubleshooting → Linux.

The rest of Settings

Two other things live on the Settings page, but neither blocks you from getting started:

  • Downloads Folder — already defaults to your OS's normal Downloads folder; only matters once you use a browser handoff.
  • Skip List — a more advanced setting related to how mods are deployed, see Settings reference. Safe to leave empty.

Once Game Path is valid, move on to Your first mod.