In brief: Sometimes there’s nothing more gratifying than watching an orbital strike decimate its target from the heavens. But even with all of that firepower, there are some notoriously difficult enemies that make liberating Helldivers 2’s planets extremely tough. Fortunately, players may soon get some heavy (and heavily armed) reinforcements to help the cause and continue spreading democracy.
The team at Arrowhead Game Studios struck gold when they released Helldivers 2, and for good reason: they released a fantastic game reminding us all that gaming is supposed to be fun. While titles like Call of Duty continue to focus more on selling skins and less on player experience as cheaters and toxicity run rampant, Helldivers 2 brought back a simple, effective recipe. Grab your friends, blow everything up, and don’t take it too seriously.
The entire game is set in a living, breathing, evolving universe directly affected by player actions and the game master, Joel. According to CEO Johan Pilestedt, Joel is a real developer who serves as the equivalent of the game’s “dungeon master,” with direct control over the game’s universe and player experience. Players are excited because it seems that Joel, notorious for introducing formidable space bugs and challenges, is now incorporating mechs into the game.
Thanks Joel ð #Helldivers2 #Mech pic.twitter.com/iaT7dMWRdl
– Helldiving Droid (@Alejandroid1979) March 2, 2024
And if the mechs weren’t enough, Helldivers look like they might be getting some more mobility thanks to armored personnel carriers (APCs) and other vehicles.
An unreleased armored personnel carrier stratagem is appearing in Helldivers 2 matches. There are now three unreleased player-controlled stratagems (Mech, Recon vehicle, APC). #Helldivers2 pic.twitter.com/MlwKhi7z4k
– Rebs Gaming (@Mr_Rebs_) March 2, 2024
It’s likely no accident that clips featuring the mechs, vehicles, and ensuing carnage continue popping up across social media platforms and generating more excitement around the already successful co-op shooter. At launch, the game was a victim of its own success, unable to cope with the massive player count that wanted to lock into their Hellpods and drop into battle. The company did a commendable job of communicating with its player base and staying active during the incident, which undoubtedly helped to retain the initial player base while fostering trust with current and potential players alike.
Since then, Arrowhead has successfully increased capacity and introduced measures to ensure idle players could not simply occupy server space indefinitely. It allowed players to once again access the game and spread democracy across the Helldivers 2 galaxy while allowing Pilestedt and the team at Arrowhead to focus on expanding upon the foundation they’ve built.
According to Pilestedt, player participation and feedback will continue to be a major factor in the direction of the Helldivers 2 gameplay experience. And with all of this new firepower on the horizon, it looks like there’s going to be a lot more freedom delivered across the galaxy.
