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Helldivers 2 launched exclusively on PS5 and PC on February 8, quickly becoming a phenomenon and rising up the charts to become one of the most played games on Steam. The co-op third-person shooter, developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, broke the mould a bit when it launched simultaneously on Windows alongside the PlayStation platform. While it’s not a first-party title, publishers Sony rarely release games under their banner on other platforms at launch. The overwhelming success of Helldivers 2, however, could be forcing the PlayStation parent to rethink its strategy. The game is now rumoured to be a subject of internal discussions over a possible Xbox release.
The information comes from XboxEra co-founder Nick Baker (@Shpeshal_Nick), who talked about a possible Xbox launch for Helldivers 2 in the latest episode of the XboxEra podcast. “We know that PlayStation has a new CEO at the moment. And I think the CEO might be a little more open to certain things,” Baker said. “So, what I’ve heard — just a rumour that I’ve heard — is that there may be some very, very early preliminary discussions about the possibility of Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox,” he added.
Bear in mind, however, these are just rumours and there is no official confirmation from either Sony or Microsoft on Helldivers 2 making its way to Xbox platforms. Baker, too, clarified that the rumour didn’t mean the game was coming to Xbox. “What I’ve heard is there’s some very early discussions about it, it could all fall to pieces. They might not come to an agreement on something,” he said in the podcast.
The possibility of Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox, however, wouldn’t be that far-fetched. The game has been a phenomenal success on PC, with regular updates and content additions keeping players hooked well over two months after launch. An Xbox release for an online co-op shooter would bring a whole new set of players to the game. And with the game’s live service model, more player engagement would generate greater revenue.
Back in February, just as Helldivers 2 was blowing up, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer had bemoaned the PlayStation and PC exclusivity of the game and wondered who it was helping by not being on Xbox. “I will say, when I look at a game like Helldivers 2, and it’s a great game, kudos to the team shipping on PC and PlayStation, I’m not exactly sure who it helps in the industry by not being on Xbox,” Spencer had said in an interview with Game File.
Spencer’s comments came after Microsoft had announced that four Xbox exclusive titles — HI-Fi Rush, Grounded, Sea of Thieves and Pentiment — would launch on rival platforms from Sony and Nintendo. With the four Xbox first-party titles coming to PS5, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if Sony indeed decides to launch Helldivers 2 on Xbox.
Weeks after its release, Helldivers 2 broke several peak concurrent player count records on Steam, surpassing popular games like Grand Theft Auto 5, Destiny 2, Starfield and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, even as the game suffered from technical issues. The game’s massive success and ballooning player count had left the developers unprepared for server crashes. Since then, Arrowhead Game Studios have released several updates to address the game’s issues and stabilise the servers.