Helldivers 2 is one of the biggest hits 2024 has seen so far and even more impressively than just its rise is the fact that the viral sensation has enjoyed its exploding popularity without one of modern gaming’s most dreaded phrases: Live service.
Things on that front aren’t likely to change anytime soon either, with Arrowhead chief executive Johan Pilestedt declaring that while he does view Helldivers 2 as a live service title—and while he’s willing to embrace the label—the priority for the sequel’s team has and always will be giving players a “full experience” with the original game.
Pilestedt, who spoke to PC Gamer today, explained it’s important for the live service aspects of Helldivers 2 to go hand-in-hand with the base game players get for purchasing on launch, with the team gaming to provide “several hours of good playtime” straight out the gate, regardless of any updates. Going deeper, Pilestedt said he believes any monetization aspects of a live service title shouldn’t factor into the base game and must be optional.
Going forward there will be no shortage of live service titles arriving on the market, but what Arrowhead’s game has achieved is a sign that it doesn’t always need to be a negative. Right now, Helldivers 2 has premium content that gives players new guns, outfits, and weapon variants for a one-time fee. These rewards can be earned by purchasing and completing warbonds, but the feature is entirely optional.
Pilestedt’s words sing to what gamers have been asking for and that’s simply a finished product. Often with live service titles there just isn’t enough on arrival to justify players sticking around, or the game is saturated in microtransactions. Hopefully, this refreshing take from Arrowhead is a sign that future titles won’t have this problem.
It remains to be seen how Helldivers 2 progresses, but things are looking positive for the co-op shooter as it continues to thrive on PlayStation and PC.
