Helldivers 2 Firm Comments on Fortnite's UFO Season

The latest season of Fortnite throws squads into the fight against insect-like alien invaders known as the "Bugs," all while grinding through a new battle pass. If this premise rings a bell, you're certainly not alone in noticing the resemblance.

Arrowhead Game Studios, the team behind the co-op shooter Helldivers 2—which also tasks squads with battling insectoid aliens dubbed "Bugs"—has now addressed the parallels. The studio's response suggests they see it more as a form of flattering imitation.

"Hmmm... it's giving 'we have Helldivers at home,'" quipped community manager Katherine Baskin on the game's Discord. She followed up by stating, "I'm not worried."

"Fortnite is Fortnite, Helldivers is Helldivers," Baskin continued. "If the trendsetters of gaming think our style is cool enough to... draw inspiration from... that's actually pretty awesome. But our games are fundamentally different. There's plenty of room for everyone at the top."

When asked for comment, Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani simply noted that the new Fortnite season "feels very democratic." This is a playful nod to Helldivers' own lore, which is set during a period of interstellar expansion called the 'Great Democratization.'

In truth, Fortnite has a long history of drawing inspiration from countless other games, films, and pop culture genres, often creating its own spin or securing official crossovers. True to form, this new season also lets players team up with a humanoid panda, the Power Rangers, and Spartan soldiers from Halo.

Initial reception to the new gameplay seems positive. Epic Games reports that players have already eliminated over 250 million Bugs since the invasion kicked off last week. Looking ahead, leaks indicate that pet-like Companions are coming to Fortnite soon, including a turtle on a skateboard.