Summary
- Helldivers 2 director Johan Pilestedt is taking a sabbatical after 11 years of intense work.
- He shared with fans that this break will allow him to reconnect and recover precious time with friends and family.
- Pilestedt plans to return to work on Arrowhead’s next game following his time off.
The Helldivers 2 creative director, Johan Pilestedt, has announced on social media that he is taking a sabbatical. After 11 years of working "around the clock" on Helldivers 2 and other projects, Pilestedt has decided to step away for a while to take a well-deserved break.
Helldivers 2 has been one of the most successful games of 2024, and its popularity still endures. Its frenetic co-op gaming experience quickly captured the attention of players on PS5 and PC, offering chaotic gameplay, impressive graphics, and ongoing developer support. Since its release, Helldivers 2 has undergone several updates, adding not only new content and bundles to the game but also introducing a wealth of fixes. The game has had its ups and downs, with a couple of controversial situations that have kept Arrowhead Games on its toes. Now, after a long development process and a very successful year, the Helldivers 2 director is stepping away.
Helldivers 2 May Have Shot Itself in the Foot By Shadow-Dropping the Illuminate
Helldivers 2’s arguably anticlimactic release of the returning Illuminate enemy faction may prove to be troublesome for the game’s longevity.
Taking to Twitter, the Helldivers 2 creative director, Johan Pilestedt, announced he is going on sabbatical "for a while." When explaining the reasons behind this decision, Pilestedt was pretty honest, stating that while players have enjoyed Helldivers 2 for almost a year now, he has been working really hard since 2013. He opened up and said that working 11 years "around the clock" with the Helldivers IP has led him to overlook personal aspects, such as his family and himself.
Helldivers 2 Creative Director Goes on Sabbatical to Recover Time with Family
Pilestedt hasn’t provided details on how long he will be on sabbatical but explained to fans that this will help him recover the lost moments with the people who supported him during the long period he has been involved in the Helldivers franchise. Nevertheless, Pilestedt assured fans that the team at Arrowhead will continue to work to keep bringing exciting new content to Helldivers 2.
Pilestedt also told fans that after this time off, he will start working on the next Arrowhead game. In a previous statement, he said that the next game was in the early stages of development and asked fans for suggestions about what they would want to see in the next title. He even revealed information about a scrapped project for a game that was a modernized take on the 1990s twin-stick shooter Smash TV, but he hasn’t provided any specific details about the project the studio is currently working on.
Helldivers 2 continues to be a strong player in the gaming landscape, with its popularity leading to an upcoming movie adaptation. While Pilestedt takes a well-deserved rest, fans may be wondering what is going to be next for both Helldivers 2 and Arrowhead’s next game.
Helldivers 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- February 8, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
WHERE TO PLAY
The Galaxy’s Last Line of Offence. Enlist in the Helldivers and join the fight for freedom across a hostile galaxy in a fast, frantic, and ferocious third-person shooter.
URGENT BROADCAST – SUPER EARTH ARMED FORCES
Freedom. Peace. Democracy. Your Super Earth-born rights. The key pillars of our civilization. Of our very existence. But the war rages on. And everything is once again under threat.
Join the greatest military force the galaxy has ever seen and make this a safe and free place to live.
BECOME A LEGEND
You will be assembled into squads of up to four Helldivers and assigned strategic missions. Watch each other’s back – friendly fire is an unfortunate certainty of war, but victory without teamwork is impossible.
LOADOUTS
Rain down freedom from above, sneak through enemy territory, or grit your teeth and charge head-first into the jaws of combat. How you deliver liberty is your choice; you’ll have access to a wide array of explosive firepower, life-saving armor and battle-changing stratagems… the jewel in every Helldiver’s arsenal.
REQUISITION
Super Earth recognises your hard work with valuable Requisition. Use it to access different rewards that benefit you, your squad, your destroyer ship and our overall war effort.
THREATS
Everything on every planet wants you dead. That’s what we’re dealing with. Each enemy has distinct and unpredictable characteristics, tactics, and behavior – but they all fight ferociously and without fear or morality.
THE GALACTIC WAR
Capturing enemy planets, defending against invasions, and completing missions will contribute to our overall effort. This war will be won or lost depending on the actions of everyone involved.
We stand together, or we fall apart.
- Engine
- bitsquid
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Franchise
- Helldivers
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
