Arrowhead CEO: Helldivers 2 Our Main Focus for 'Loooong Time' with Continued Player Support

Arrowhead, the developers behind the smash-hit game Helldivers 2, have responded to concerns that they might shift their focus away from the game to work on their next project, known as "Game 6." Following the launch of the full-scale Illuminate invasion, CEO Shams Jorjani took to the official Helldivers Discord to address the community's worries directly.

Jorjani reassured fans by stating, "The wonderful thing is that thanks to the amazing support of you FINE people, Arrowhead's future is quite bright and we have the freedom to explore some really cool concepts that we couldn't have otherwise. Game 6 (our next project) will happen the way it will happen thanks to you." This comment sparked some concern among players, with one fan suggesting it indicated Arrowhead was already diverting significant development resources away from Helldivers 2.

However, Jorjani quickly quashed these fears, emphasizing, "Nah. It's ALL Helldivers 2 for now. A very, very small team will spin up something later this year and go at it sloowly. Helldivers is our main focus and will be for a loooong time." This commitment to the current game is further supported by Jorjani's statement on how long content updates for Helldivers 2 might last: "As long as you folks keep playing and buying Super Credits we can keep it going." He acknowledged past struggles but highlighted the turnaround and the bright future ahead, thanks to community support.

In a follow-up comment, Jorjani addressed a fan's call for Arrowhead to ensure their next game is available in all regions, avoiding the region-locking issues faced with Helldivers 2. Jorjani confirmed, "The next game is 100% funded by ourselves so we'll call 100% of those shots," indicating that Game 6 will not be tied to Sony or any other publisher, and it is not Helldivers 3.

Discussing the development approach for Game 6, Jorjani contrasted it with the "rough" eight-year development cycle of Helldivers 2. He explained, "For the most part of the development cycle games plain suck. Very seldom are they truly fun from the get-go. And for Helldivers taking eight years to make it was rough for the longest time. But it came together in the end. The ONLY way to know is to playtest playtest playtest." He added that Arrowhead plans to tackle the "core s\*\*t" early on for their next game, aiming for a smoother development process.

These statements align with previous comments from Arrowhead's developers, who have expressed a desire for Helldivers 2 to have a long-lasting presence. Notably, Helldivers 2 has been the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, with 12 million copies sold in just 12 weeks. Despite challenges such as the reversal on PSN account requirements, review-bomb campaigns, and ongoing community debates over game balance, Arrowhead remains committed to Helldivers 2.

Alex Bolle, production director on Helldivers 2, reinforced this commitment in a recent interview with IGN, stating, "We want it to be around for years and years and years to come." He highlighted the motivation to keep the game fresh and engaging while staying true to its core identity, saying, "The more we figure out how to thrive in a live environment, and we still have a way to go to figure out a lot of things around that, the more we can let creativity loose on new systems that we would've never thought about a year ago when we released."

Recent leaks, including one from PlayStation itself, suggest that Super Earth may soon become a playable map as the Illuminate invades our home planet, promising exciting new content for Helldivers 2 players.