- Helldivers 2 has become a rare instance for sales analysts.
- The game sales are still going up in the US two weeks later.
- It has also seen an inverse decay curve, which is a very rare sight for industry analysts.
Helldivers 2 is currently 2024’s most successful release so far, selling over 3 million copies and becoming the biggest Sony PC release. Suffice it to say, Arrowhead has surprised everyone.
Though game sales usually start to decline a few weeks after release, Helldivers 2 has become an exception. In a surprising turn of events, its sales are still on an upward spiral in the US.
Why it matters: AA successes like these can be the beginning of a new shift for the gaming industry since AAA development has shown to be unsustainable time and again.
Helldivers II US sales went up yet again during its 3rd week in market.
An honest-to-goodness inverse decay curve so far.
Feel like Steve Irwin sighting a rare bird or something. Rare and amazing, in an Australian accent even.
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) March 4, 2024
This report comes from Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, who reveals that the sales of Helldivers 2 increased in the third week since launch. He used the term inverse decay curve to describe this co-op shooter.
Mat Piscatella explained that most games find success during the first week, and sales fall over time. However, the opposite is true for Helldivers 2. This is also different from growth, which can be temporary.
Inverse decay shows that people have developed more interest in Helldivers 2 in the weeks following its release. This is also the only game this year to go through this pattern, further highlighting its success.
One reason for this trend likely has to do with the co-op shooter’s prevalence on social media, particularly on platforms like YouTube and TikTok that support short-form content.
With thousands of hilarious and intense moments making the rounds on social media, more and more people have found themselves interested in this release.
Though 2024 has already seen a record-breaking launch like Palworld, Mat Piscatella believes nothing looks as promising as Helldivers 2 so far this year.
Another factor contributing to this success is Arrowhead’s focus on making the $40 base game worth it for the players. A commitment to the player experience has also piqued the interest of Xbox fans, leading to a petition for an Xbox launch with over 72K signatures.
At this rate, Helldivers 2 is expected to end 2024 as one of this year’s best-selling titles. Unlike most first-party PlayStation games, it already had access to a larger audience thanks to a day-one Steam launch.
Positive word of mouth and genuine responses from the developers have led to even higher interest, setting the stage for PlayStation’s biggest live-service success so far. The game has even left titles like Destiny 2 behind on PC.
Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋
How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔
[News Reporter]
Abiyan is on track to complete his Computer Science bachelor’s degree. His enthusiasm for writing and gaming motivates him to keep readers and gamers updated with the latest information from the industry. In his free time, Abiyan enjoys playing Dota 2 and Rocket League. Abiyan has also been cited in reputed websites such as Kitguru, Comicbook, GamingBible, Eurogamer and Gamingbolt.
