Summary
- Arrowhead Game Studios has confirmed that it will grow Helldivers 2 into Helldivers 3 over time.
- Helldivers 2 may receive major features like eight-player co-op in the future.
- The outdated game engine powering Helldivers 2 could also be switched for a newer engine, although it's unclear if this is technologically possible.
Arrowhead Game Studios has revealed that it plans to take a rather unconventional approach for Helldivers 3. The studio has seen tremendous success with Helldivers 2, and it seems the multiplayer co-op shooter's sequel will build on these foundations in a very literal sense.
Helldivers 2 became an unexpected live-service phenomenon when it launched earlier this year. The game's incredibly fun co-op gameplay loop and satirical lore compelled millions of players across PS5 and PC to jump in, and the hype grew so gargantuan that Helldivers 2 crossed the 12 million sold milestone in just four months. There were some hiccups, though, like Helldivers 2's PSN account-linking controversy on Steam and the controversial balancing changes in August 2024's Escalation of Freedom update. These were thankfully walked back, and after the recent Omens of Tyranny update, Helldivers 2 is chugging along quite well.
Helldivers 2’s Latest Warbond Booster is a Must-Have
Helldivers 2's Urban Legends Booster is hopefully a bright sign of beautiful quality-of-life improvements as resupply pods can now come armed.
Now that Omens of Tyranny has introduced the Illuminate enemy faction, not much is known about what fans can expect from Helldivers 2 in 2025 and beyond. However, a recent tweet from Arrowhead COO Johan Pilestedt confirms that the studio wants to bin the usual sequel format by "growing Helldivers 2 into Helldivers 3." This was part of a response to a fan’s comment about potential features for a hypothetical Helldivers 3, such as eight-player co-op functionality and swimming. While Pilestedt dismissed the possibility of swimming in the Helldivers universe, he curiously didn't do the same for eight-player co-op.
Arrowhead Plans to Evolve Helldivers 2 Into Helldivers 3 Through Continual Updates
Pilestedt's cheeky evasion may allude to Arrowhead planning to increase Helldivers 2's co-op squad size in the future. Beyond eight-player co-op, though, the confirmation of Arrowhead expanding Helldivers 2's scope until it resembles a sequel is significant. It not only reinforces the notion that Arrowhead is wholly committed to Helldivers 2, but also opens up the possibility of the game receiving major changes at the grassroots level. Case in point, Helldivers 2 is powered by an outdated game engine dubbed Autodesk Stingray, which was discontinued in 2018.
Switching to a newer, more commonly used game engine may be one of Arrowhead's top considerations, as it'll help streamline support pipelines for Helldivers 2 and allow the studio to take on more developers. The prospect isn't that unfathomable either, as Fortnite was moved to Unreal Engine 5 from Unreal Engine 4 in late 2022. However, every game engine comes with a unique set of quirks, so only time will tell if an engine shift is even technically possible for Helldivers 2.
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
