- Arrowhead’s CEO has revealed that Helldivers 2 was meant to be a Free-to-play title.
- At one point, the game was going to release in 2020 as a launch exclusive for PS5.
- Eventually, the game’s scope demanded a premium fee.
Saying that Sony’s live service efforts have been poor would be an understatement. The Japanese giant failed to hit a home run with the billions it invested in the live service department, as most of its games flopped or were cancelled.
However, one arrow did hit its target with Helldivers 2, the 2024 live-service title that became a breakout hit for both Sony and developer Arrowhead. And, seemingly, the live-service starlet was meant to launch much sooner.
Why it matters: A positively reviewed title kicking off the live-service era for PlayStation may have paved the way for more successful multiplayer games.
According to Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani, Helldivers 2 was almost a free-to-play offering instead of being a $40 game. While answering fan questions on Discord, Jorjani revealed that the project initially started as an AA title but then expanded in scope before pivoting to become an F2P.
Later on, direction changed once again, with Sony wanting Helldivers 2 to be a launch title for the PlayStation 5, meaning the game would have been released in 2020. However, as time went on, the project shifted back to a premium approach instead of pursuing the free-to-play direction.
It’s interesting to consider how Sony’s live-service effort would have panned out if Helldivers 2 had launched earlier with a free-to-play model. For sure, the Arrowhead title was a massive success, becoming Steam’s highest-grossing title in the first half of 2024 and selling almost a million copies on Xbox.
But a warm reception for Helldivers 2, in addition to being free-to-play in 2020, would have reflected better on the Sony live-service project than the PR mess it is now. The company recently admitted that its decision to pivot to live-service has been rough so far.
One of its upcoming tentpole projects, Fairgame$, is at risk of cancellation, and the situation is so dire that the company has shifted its focus back to single-player games.
Do you think a 2020 release of Helldivers 2 would have changed things for Sony’s live-service push? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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