Helldivers 2

Key art used for the physical and digital editions, depicting the titular Helldivers fighting the Bugs, one of the game's enemy factions

### Director

Johan Pilestedt (creative)
Mikael Eriksson (game)

### Platforms

PlayStation 5
PC

### Mode(s)

Multiplayer

***Helldivers 2*** (stylized as ***Helldivers II***) is an upcoming 2024 online tactical third-person shooter video game developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5 and PC. It is the sequel to 2015's *Helldivers*.

*Helldivers 2* takes place in a satirical, futuristic setting in which mankind is ruled by the "managed democracy" of Super Earth. Players take the roles of Helldivers, expandable elite soldiers who fight and die to protect the rest of humanity from various enemy factions. *Helldivers 2* is a tactical shooter presented from a third-person perspective, unlike its predecessor which was designed as an isometric top-down shooter. Missions focus on cooperative gameplay between up to four players, who are encouraged to coordinate their actions and tactics together to eliminate enemies and complete objectives. *Helldivers 2* carries over several hallmarks of the first game, including permanent friendly-fire and a feature called stratagems, which summon specific tools and abilities to the team's side.

Arrowhead began work on *Helldivers 2* in 2016, and the game became their first AAA production following the release of several smaller-budget titles. The studio eventually grew from 35 employees in the beginning of the development, to over 100 by the time the game was officially revealed. Existence of *Helldivers 2* was leaked several times before it was properly announced in May 2023. It was originally slated for a 2023 release, but was delayed to February 2024.

## Gameplay

*Helldivers 2* is an online tactical shooter video game with emphasis on co-op gameplay, strategy and teamwork. *Helldivers 2* is presented from an over the shoulder, third-person perspective; a shift from its 2015 predecessor *Helldivers*, which was a top-down stick shooter with a fixed, isometric camera. Players take the roles of Helldivers, expandable elite soldiers sent to far away planets to combat alien invaders and other threats that loom over Super Earth.

*Helldivers 2* features a high degree of character customization for the player, allowing for various cosmetic changes to the player's avatar and a variety of weapons and tools that can be selected before and during missions. Players are encouraged to use weapons befitting certain enemies and mission designs, such as anti-armor shells against armored aliens. A core tool for the player is the stratagems, special tools and abilities that can be used with specific button combinations and help the team during a fight.

Similar to *Helldivers*, *Helldivers 2* includes a permanent friendly fire feature, with every tool at the player's disposal can eliminate their teammates intentionally or by accident.

## Premise

*Helldivers 2* takes place in a science fiction universe, in which humanity is now ruled by the "controlled democracy" of Super Earth. The Helldivers are elite soldiers sent by Super Earth to fight the Galactic War and protect the planet and humanity from various alien and foreign threats.

## Development

*Helldivers 2* is developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5 and PC. Arrowhead president and co-founder Johan Pilestedt reprises his role as creative director from 2015's *Helldivers*, while artist Mikael Eriksson who joined Arrowhead in 2021 serves as game director. Development on *Helldivers 2* began in 2016, with some work tracing back to 2015.

*Helldivers 2* went gold on January 18, 2023.

### Technology

By December 2015, Arrowhead began looking into Epic Games's Unreal Engine, though the studio's chief technology officer Anton Stenmark noted that they had early mixed opinions on the engine; though Stenmark found that in some aspects Unreal was smoother to work with than Autodesk's Stingray (which powered the first game), he also considered it more "restrictive".

## Release

Arrowhead first acknowledged the title in December 2020 as a "next-generation third-person cooperative shooter" for ninth-generation consoles and personal computers, though it did not reveal its identity as a *Helldivers* game at the time. *Helldivers 2* was announced at Sony's PlayStation Showcase, in May 2023; for a 2023 release window on both PlayStation 5 and personal computers. A second trailer was released in July 2023, explaining the combat and co-op features of the game. A third trailer showcasing a co-op mission against a boss fight was released in September 2023 as part of a State of Play presentation; at the end of the trailer Sony announced that *Helldivers 2* was delayed from its original 2023 window to February 8, 2024. Pre-orders opened on September 22, 2023. A new trailer and information about the game's PC features and crossplay functions were released on January 9, 2024. The game's launch trailer was released on January 16, 2024. A gameplay overview trailer was released on January 23, 2024.

### Editions

*Helldivers 2* is slated to be released with a retail release and two digital editions.

* **Standard Edition** (physical and digital)
	+ *Helldivers 2* base game
* **Super Citizen Edition** (digital only)
	+ *Helldivers 2* base game
	+ “DP-53 Savior of the Free” armor set
	+ “Will of the People” cape
	+ “MP-98 Knight” weapon
	+ “Super Citizen” status
	+ “Stratagem Hero” ship game
	+ “Steeled Veterans” premium warbond

Player who purchase the game prior to its release receive pre-order bonuses in the form of three armors.

* “TR-7 Ambassador of the Brand” – Promotional armor made by SUMY Corp. as part of a highly successful marketing campaign for frozen yogurt.
* “TR-62 Knight” – Crafted to deliver Justice to the darkest crevices of the galaxy.
* “TR-9 Cavalier of Democracy” – Bearers of this armor ride no equine mount, but are nonetheless borne to battle atop the trusty steed of Liberty.

## Reception

### Pre-release

GameSpot's Claire Lewis described the visuals of the announcement trailer as "detailed" and "smooth". *Nier* creator Yoko Taro tweeted his interest in the game, calling its *Starship Troopers* presentation "refreshing".

## Gallery

### Media

First key art, unveiled with the game's announcementSecond key art, used for the game's physical and digital standard editions
### Trailers

Helldivers 2 - Announce Trailer - PS5 & PC GamesHelldivers 2 - Co-op and Combat Trailer - PS5 & PC GamesHelldivers 2 - Bile Titan Liberation Gameplay - PS5 & PC GamesHelldivers 2 - Automaton Pre-Order Trailer - PS5 & PC GamesHelldivers 2 - PC Features Trailer - PS5 & PC GamesHelldivers 2 - "The Fight for Freedom Begins " Launch Trailer - PS5 & PC GamesHelldivers 2 - "A United Stand" Galactic War Trailer - PS5 & PC Games
## References

1. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/07/sony-calls-in-a-tactical-supply-drop-of-helldivers-2-ps5-pc-gameplay-and-it-looks-stunning
2. ↑ Linkedin account
3. ↑ Timeline - Arrowhead Game Studios.
*"After a hectic 2015, 2016 was taken at a more leisurely pace. We had just started the unannounced project (little did we know that six years later it would still be unannounced…)."*
4. ↑ https://www.arrowheadgamestudios.com/2023/05/helldivers-2-coming-in-2023/
5. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/01/helldivers-2-has-gone-gold-ready-to-fight-back-the-alien-hordes-on-ps5-pc
6. ↑ https://www.digitalmediaworld.tv/games/119-arrowhead-game-studios-plays-to-win
7. ↑ https://www.arrowheadgamestudios.com/2020/12/arrowhead-game-studios-is-working-on-a-next-generation-3rd-person-cooperative-shooter/
8. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2023/05/24/helldivers-2-drops-on-playstation-5-later-this-year/
9. ↑ https://www.polygon.com/23736474/helldivers-2-announced
10. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2023/07/06/first-details-on-helldivers-2-co-op-and-combat-gameplay/
11. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/09/helldivers-2-is-absolutely-bursting-with-bugs-squads-up-on-ps5-pc-in-february
12. ↑ https://mp1st.com/news/helldivers-2-pre-orders-are-live-40-for-standard-edition-and-60-for-super-citizen-edition
13. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2024/01/09/helldivers-2-pc-specifications-and-crossplay-support-details-revealed/
14. ↑ https://www.ign.com/videos/helldivers-2-official-launch-trailer
15. ↑ https://www.ign.com/videos/helldivers-2-official-gameplay-overview-trailer
16. ↑ https://www.gematsu.com/2023/09/helldivers-ii-digital-pre-orders-now-available
17. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/helldivers-2-announced-with-gameplay-trailer-at-2023-playstation-showcase/1100-6514527/
18. ↑ https://twitter.com/yokotaro/status/1661535704151896065