Helldivers 2: the Future of Helldivers
Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Shams Jorjani has left no room for speculation about the studio’s long term vision: Helldivers 3 is not in the works. Rather than beginning development on the next game in the franchise, the studio intends to offer continued support for, and development on, the exceptionally successful Helldivers 2 for the foreseeable future, aiming to emulate the monetization strategy of long-standing live service titles, like RuneScape.
This continues to put to rest the speculation that has surrounded and shifted focus to the future development of the game. Jorjani’s position seems to allay the concerns of fans wondering about the possibility of Helldivers 3: it is not coming, at least not any time soon. The game we have now, while not perfect, is adequate to continue the release of galactic liberation. The discourse around Helldivers 3, has, it seems, been resolved in its entirety by the CEO.
Official Statements: “No Plans for HD3”
The confirmation was passed down from Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani on Discord and during gaming sessions. Wthout holding back any words he said “No, we have no plans for HD3, just HD2 for as long as it can go.” He started explaining his dissent and he uttered the age old MMO, RuneScape, and its activity for over 20 years.
This sets the date for his thoughts. At the start of the term, Helldivers 2 production director Alex Bolle spoke to IGN and said they want the game “to be around for years and years and years to come.” Jorjani re-iterated the quoted “forever game” dream saying, “Myself and the directors agree we would love this to be a forever game… we can keep expanding it for a long time.” These ever expanding ideas make it clear that the plan is Helldivers 3 is not in the current road map.
Legends No More : The Next One Is A New Game
Part of the Helldivers 3 clarity comes from an earlier remark from Jorjani that, for some community members, created some puzzlement. In a Discord conversation, a user proposed a Destiny 2-like experience for a future game. Jorjani replied that such a feature “on the feature list for the next one.”
Many members of the community were certain that “the next one” was referring to Helldivers 3. Jorjani revised that on Reddit, saying that he was not talking about a sequel at all. In his words, “This was about our next game. Not HD3.” It matters that it was stated that Arrowhead’s next project is something different entirely from Helldivers 3. This statement puts more of a wet blanket on speculative fires regarding Helldivers 3.
As for Helldivers 2, it can be transformed into its own successor
Instead of a traditional sequel, Arrowhead has held a different view on the evolution of Helldivers 2. The idea is to enhance the game continuously, to an extent that it can be considered a sequel to the traditional game. This strategy could even integrate the addition of novel elements, such as an increase in the currently capped 4 player squads.
The approach to Helldivers 3 and its evolution ‘without’ a sequel is almost a live service philosophy. The studio can still monetize as they do not have to support several games. Helldivers 3 need not exist as long as the goal is to maximize the player experience without fragmentation. The approach is to provide something novel, without changing the Helldivers game design.
Why continue with Helldivers 2? The answer is in the proof.
The success of Helldivers 2 is a cultural phenomenon and a commercial juggernaut is the fortnight snapshot from. The Counter Sensor game is the fastest selling game in the history of the studio, selling 12 million copies within the first 12 weeks from the day of launching in February 2024.As a live-service business, this kind of popularity serves as a sturdy base. Coupled with a highly engaged fan community, strong backing from the publishing giant PlayStation means the studio has incentive and means to actively continue investment in Helldivers 2.
Immediately pursuing Helldivers 3 would risk alienating the community and fragmenting the player base—a scenario with no upside considering the momentum of the current game. The story of success of Helldivers 2 is the story of why Helldivers 3 is not necessary.
What the Future Holds: Continuous Liberation
What is leaps and bounds above the rest is player expectation management. Narrative content scarcity is a recurrent issue, but focus is obvious on integrating new features in Helldivers 2 like the recent update “Into the Unjust” with the dangerous Hive World and the “Dust Devils” Premium Warbond. The studio will continue to nurture the sustained Galactic War, add new enemies, weapons, and objectives, and improve the gameplay experience as a whole.
The fact that Helldivers 3 might not become a reality will actually be a relief to fans. It shows that the creators are responsive to the gamers’ concerns and are focusing on the game’s longevity. Helldivers 3 will not be needed to wage the fight for Managed Democracy that will continue to take place in Helldivers 2. The story of Helldivers 3 will be saved for something much more ambitious: the lasting legacy of Helldivers 2.
Conclusion: The Saga Continues in Helldivers 2
Arrowhead Game Studios has been clear in its communication: Helldivers 3 is not in active development. All of the studio’s focus is on the Helldivers 2 Live Service model, which they intend to support as a game with longevity. Any previous comments about a “next game” referred to something new and not the unannounced game which is Helldivers 3. For the players fighting for Super Earth, the prediction is optimistic, and it is based in the continuously expanding universe of Helldivers 2. The discourse about Helldivers 3 has been decided, as the world has experienced Helldivers 2 and that is already the most definitive offering.
Source: https://gamerant.com/helldivers-3-no-plans-arrowhead-comment/
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