Helldivers 2 may not be getting a sequel, but Arrowhead CCO Johan Pilestedt has unveiled ideas for “sequel-level” changes and upgrades that could make their way into the game. The multiplayer shooter has had a roller coaster of a post-launch life so far, with massive swings between popularity and controversy as the team introduces new content and attempts to fix persistent technical issues. Now, as things seem to be settling, at least a little, one of Helldivers 2‘s leads has teased what could be next for the title.
The team over at Arrowhead Game Studios has remained in near-constant communication with players since the game came out, so it has received plenty of feedback on what fans want. Amid this ongoing conversation, Helldivers 2 has changed its approach to delivering new content, opting to prioritize bug fixes and optimizations over rolling out new features as quickly as possible. This shift should offer frustrated users a much-needed sigh of relief, but it also does not mean the end of fresh content for Helldivers 2, as Pilestedt dug into recently.
Helldivers 2 Dev Reveals How Often New Updates Will Be Released
Helldivers 2 gets an encouraging update on the developer’s future schedule for game patches, which aim to massively fix key problems.
Helldivers 2 CCO Would Like to Implement “Sequel-esque” Features in the Future
In a December 25 Q&A, Pilestedt addressed a question about his previous comment that Arrowhead wants to grow Helldivers 2 into its own sequel of sorts. The CCO mentioned several “sequel-esque” features he would like to see in the game sometime down the line, with one of the biggest being large, open-world maps where teams can encounter other player groups and work together to “take on bigger challenges.” Along those lines, Pilestedt also touched on the possibility of having operations that affect other teams to make the world of Helldivers 2 feel bigger and more cohesive. He didn’t get into specifics on what that would look like, but it sounds like the goal is to have one team’s actions impact the situation of another, making the broader multiplayer experience feel like a real, bigger war instead of a series of isolated battles.
Another “sequel-level” feature Pilestedt briefly acknowledged was the addition of eight-player teams, something fans have been asking about for a while. Hearing the CCO single that out as something he’d like to see is interesting in light of how Helldivers 2‘s CEO shot down the idea of bigger lobbies in September, saying the expansion would “kill” the game’s performance. At the time, Helldivers 2 was struggling heavily with technical issues, especially on PC, so it’s understandable why the Arrowhead skipper would shoot down the idea of bigger lobbies then. Things have improved since then, although plenty of bugs and glitches remain, so it’s unclear if devs will consider introducing eight-player teams down the line as they continue to optimize the game or when such a change might come.
Later in the Q&A session, Pilestedt offered some insight into how the team prioritizes new features like these and the complications that come with implementing them. He explained how some things, like adding flying vehicles, may seem simple enough but require “fundamental recalibrations” of how the game works, both from a technical standpoint and in terms of gameplay balancing. Other Arrowhead employees have touched on this before, as Helldivers 2 devs once considered adding underground maps but acknowledged that the gameplay would be entirely different from fighting on the surface, logistical problems aside.
Given these complications, Pilestedt says the team wants to prioritize fine-tuning the existing core gameplay while leaving larger, more disruptive changes as longer-term possibilities to consider and work on afterward. It seems, then, that it could be a while before fans could see these “sequel-level” new features, but with no plans for a Helldivers 3 at the moment, Arrowhead has plenty of time to elevate the game.
- 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
