The developers ofHelldivers 2, Arrowhead Game Studios, are reportedly working on another game. Released last February tonear-universal critical acclaimand a massive player base that seemed to pop up overnight. Despite a controversy caused by the game’s mandatory PSN linking, and a dearth of content in the latter half of the year, the game is still going strong, with promises ofmassive updates toHelldivers 2in 2025.
But Arrowhead Game Studios isn’t stopping there;Johan Pilestedt, the CCO of the Swedish development company and Creative Director ofHelldivers 2recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to solicit fan opinions on what the studio’s next game should be. Pilestedt says he’s already working on the “high concept” of the next game, but was curious to hear what fans are expecting from the studio. While it’s unclear whether these expectations will actually influence Arrowhead’s output, Pilestedt engaged directly with the collective brainstorming session, responding to fan speculation and sharing concepts for similar projects that Arrowhead has previously scrapped.
Helldivers 2 Fans Speculate What’s To Come Next From Arrowhead
Vehicular Combat, A New Helldivers, Or A Return To Form?
Many fans had opinions on what Arrowhead’s next game should be, but some of them seem more familiar than others. Naturally, many suggested just makingHelldivers 3, but if his concept were as simple as that, Pilestedt likely wouldn’t have sought their input. Butother fans came surprisingly close to scrapped game concepts that Arrowhead has worked on in the past, including @SoundwaveSpectr’s suggestion for an on-rails aerial combat simulator a laStarfox.
Others, like @BlueFinn42, knew exactly what they were doing.This user suggested bringing backMagicka, a largely forgotten co-op game released by Arrowhead in 2011. In gameplay, it’s similar to the firstHelldivers- just replace Stratagems with spells. It takes place in a Norse myth-inspired fantasy universe with a uniquely Arrowhead satirical bent - see the expansionMagicka: Vietnam.
And still others, like @archibald_liu, had bizarre-yet-brilliant ideas for aHelldiverssequel. Instead of making another shooter, this fan suggested,Arrowhead’s next game should take inspiration from other co-op titles likeOvercooked. This would focus on the lesser-known Helldivers - not the ones on the surface of alien worlds fighting for Super Earth’s peace, but those stuck on the ships above them, performing all the mundane tasks that keep the war machine going.
Whatever the case,it’s clear Arrowhead has something big planned. Still, Pilestedt is careful not to give anything away, and considering he’s still only working on the concept for the game, it’s likely still years away from release. But that doesn’t mean there’s no room for rampant speculation about whatHelldivers 2’s successor could be.
And Now, For Something Completely Different
As much as I would liketo see moreHelldiversor aMagicka 3,it looks like Arrowhead is really gearing up to surprise us. In recent years, the studio has become known for three things: shooters, sci-fi, and satire. It’s a brilliant combo reminiscent of the best Paul Verhoeven films, andHelldivers 2has proven that it’s a viable formula with widespread appeal.
Is Helldivers 2 Worth Playing In 2025?
After a wildly successful launch and a series of less successful updates, is Helldivers 2 still worth playing, a year after its initial release?
But there’s something very tongue-in-cheek about the tone of Pilestedt’s original Tweet. It’s not a warm invitation to fans to influence the nature of Arrowhead’s next game; it’s definitely an attempt to gauge the temperature of the fan base, but there’s a taunting aspect to it, as if Pilestedt is confident he’s got a big surprise in store. My guess is,whatever Arrowhead puts out next, it’ll be a massive surprise to onlookers one and all. It’ll be unlike anything else its previous output, up to and includingHelldivers 2, has led us to expect.
Sources: Johan Pilestedt/X (1,2), @SoundwaveSpectr/X, @archibald_liu/X
Helldivers 2
Helldivers II is the follow-up to the 2015 multiplayer top-down single-player/co-op shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios. The sequel, which has shifted gears to a third-person shooter format, drops players into the boots of elite super-soldiers who fight to protect Super Earth from invading alien forces while taking the fight to those who threaten the “democracy of Super Earth.”
