GamesThird Person ShooterHelldivers 2Helldivers 2 CEO says after success, the goal now is simple—‘make this the best live game you’ve ever played’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesThird Person ShooterHelldivers 2Helldivers 2 CEO says after success, the goal now is simple—‘make this the best live game you’ve ever played’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Arrowhead Games)

We’re dealing with the former today, after Pilestedt popped up in response to TheGentlemanCEO (presumably no relation) posting a topic about the game’s subreddit “riding [a] fine line between constructive input and whiny entitlement”. OP goes on to list several ways in which they felt people were misunderstanding the nature of live service development, and Arrowhead’s responsibilities to its partners (such as Sony).
Pilestedt says Arrowhead is still “figuring it out, the demands and expectations on the studio are high, all eyes are on us, and we have a sole purpose—to make this the best live game you’ve ever played. We just need to find our stride and balance.”
(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)

Feel free to salute that message in the name of liberty, citizen. Obviously it’s way too early in Helldivers 2’s lifecycle to make any kind of call on it as a live title, because the success of these things is measured in years if not decades. But what I can say with certainty is that it’s unlike any other live service game I’ve played, and feels much more exciting and dynamic in how it’s bouncing players around and creating a sense of collective accomplishment (and occasionally failure).
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Pilestedt did later return to clarify a few points, saying his point about the demands on Arrowhead were not to be “defensive” but because “I know we can do better as a studio… the games industry is a complicated beast. We need to stay relevant and keep everyone entertained while fixing stuff.
“The expectations from our friends at PlayStation are pretty simple: ‘make great game for players. We trust you.'”
There’s a whole Super Earth of players out there who do too, and even making that gag shows another of Helldivers 2’s ongoing appeals: how completely we’ve all bought-in to the satire, and enjoy framing the experience in those terms. Look at any discussion between Helldivers 2 players and you’ll soon enough find the cause of liberty invoked, players theorising about the lore dismissed as “bot sympathisers”, and unwarranted dissension marked as treasonous. Whether it becomes one of the best of all time or not, no-one can deny Helldivers 2 gets in your head.
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