Helldivers 2's upcoming Xbox launch could mark the onset of a major turning point for PlayStation. The announcement of the Helldivers 2 Xbox port marks an unprecedented moment: PlayStation voluntarily bringing one of its own IPs to its direct competitor. Given Xbox's own successful multiplatform venture over the past year, Helldivers 2 might end up being a tipping point that leads PlayStation down a similar path.
Microsoft's multiplatform pivot has brought big Xbox games like Forza Horizon 5 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to PS5 in the past few months, both of which performed exceptionally well. In fact, analyst reports indicate that Forza Horizon 5 is the PS5's best-selling game of 2025 so far, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle sold faster on the Sony console than on Xbox and PC, signaling just how powerful the PlayStation user base remains for major third-party releases. These examples have shown that great games can thrive outside their original platforms, and now it's Helldivers 2's turn to prove that on Xbox.
Helldivers 2 on Xbox May Actually Turn Out to Be a Trojan's Horse From PlayStation
Helldivers 2 is getting itself an Xbox port, but its lack of Game Pass integration might hint at a major Sony move against Microsoft.
Recent years have seen Sony games like MLB The Show launch on Xbox due to contractual obligations, but Helldivers 2 isn't quite the same. The Helldivers IP is fully owned by Sony and the game will be published on Series X/S under the PlayStation Publishing label, so for all intents and purposes, the company's hands were not tied in any way. Therefore, it can be logically inferred that Sony is toying around with the idea of multiplatform releases in the same vein as Xbox, but perhaps not as heavily. Xbox has launched five games on PS5 so far in 2025, with four more on the way. Sony looks to be following a more measured approach for Xbox releases, with just Helldivers 2 confirmed for now.
Helldivers 2 Has the Potential to Rocket Up the Xbox Sales Charts, Just Like Forza Horizon 5 Did on PS5
Still, the intent is clear and Helldivers 2 may open the door for more multiplatform PlayStation releases, but that's all contingent on how well the game sells on Xbox Series X/S. Just as Forza Horizon 5 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle turned out huge successes on PS5 and further encouraged Microsoft to invest in multiplatform publishing, Helldivers 2 could become Xbox's highest-selling game of the year. Given how much Xbox fans petitioned over the last year and a half to get Helldivers 2 on Series X/S, the live-service shooter could pull some serious numbers on the platform.
Helldivers 2 will arrive on Xbox Series X/S on August 26, with full cross-play support and a $40 price tag. Sony won't add Helldivers 2 to Game Pass, at least for now, so it should be interesting to see where the game falls on the Xbox sales charts. Interestingly, Helldivers 2 may have already been internally projected to be a success on Xbox, as a recent Sony job listing strongly hinted at a multiplatform strategy in the works for PlayStation.
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
- Engine
- bitsquid
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
