Arrowhead, the developers behind the popular game Helldivers 2, have recently addressed concerns from their community about the possibility of shifting focus to their next project, tentatively named "Game 6." Following the successful launch of the full-scale Illuminate invasion in Helldivers 2, CEO Shams Jorjani took to the official Helldivers Discord to reassure players. He emphasized the positive impact of the community's support on Arrowhead's future, 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."
However, this statement sparked concern among some fans, who interpreted it as a sign that Arrowhead might be diverting significant resources away from Helldivers 2. Jorjani was quick to dispel these fears, asserting, "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."
When asked about the duration of content updates for Helldivers 2, Jorjani responded, "As long as you folks keep playing and buying Super Credits we can keep it going." He acknowledged the game's rocky start last summer but noted a turnaround, crediting the continued support of the community for the bright outlook.
In an interesting follow-up, Jorjani addressed concerns about region-locking in future games. He confirmed that Arrowhead would self-fund their next project, stating, "The next game is 100% funded by ourselves so we'll call 100% of those shots." This suggests that Arrowhead's next game will not be published by Sony and is unlikely to be a direct sequel to Helldivers 2.
Discussing the development of Game 6, Jorjani contrasted it with the "rough" eight-year development of Helldivers 2. He emphasized the importance of early focus on core gameplay elements, saying, "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. For our next game we're doing things in a much smarter way and nailing a lot of the core s\*\*t early on (as you should) then make the rest."
These comments align with previous statements from Arrowhead developers, who have expressed their desire for Helldivers 2 to remain a long-term project. The game has set records as the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game of all time, with 12 million copies sold in just 12 weeks. Despite challenges such as the PSN account requirements on Steam, review-bomb campaigns, and ongoing community debates over game balance, Arrowhead remains committed to Helldivers 2.
Alex Bolle, production director on Helldivers 2, reiterated this commitment to IGN, saying, "We want it to be around for years and years and years to come." He discussed the team's motivation to stay true to the Helldivers 2 fantasy while continuously innovating and adapting new systems. Bolle's experience with live games fuels his excitement for future possibilities, stating, "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, hint at upcoming content such as the Super Earth map, which could introduce new gameplay elements as the Illuminate invasion reaches our home planet.
