Helldivers 2 was a massive success for Sony Interactive Entertainment and Arrowhead Game Studios, and the game director, Johan Pilestedt, is soaking up all the praise and words of affirmation from their supportive community. Pilestedt was a gamer in his youth, and now he is expressing interest in developing a revival or a spinoff of sorts inspired by Nintendo’s Star Fox.
Pilestedt was a gamer in his younger years and was exposed to all kinds of games from various developers and publishers, but what ignited his passion for game development was not PlayStation but Nintendo, which was a rival company. Helldivers 2 helped find PlayStation’s footing in the multiplayer space, and Pilestedt could help secure more ground through his inspiration gained from Star Fox.
Helldivers 2 Director Wants to Do a Star Fox-Style Game
In a recent conversation with members of the gaming community on X, Pilestedt revealed that it was his love for Nintendo that got him into game development and expressed interest in doing a Star Fox kind of game, perhaps as a new game mode for Helldivers 2, or a brand-new game entirely considering the franchise is an expanding universe.
Star Fox! Probably one of my favourite games of all time. I replayed it just 3 months ago.
Would be amazing to do a Star Fox style game where you are an eagle pilot 😀
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) March 28, 2024
Creative minds like Pilestedt are a necessity in the gaming industry, and the lore of Helldivers 2 can be fleshed out even better with the idea of players taking on the role of an eagle pilot with gameplay inspired by Star Fox. With its greatness-inspired greatness, Nintendo deserves its fair share of credit for the success of Helldivers 2.
It is not uncommon to hear game developers reveal that their passion was ignited by specific gaming companies but ended up working for their rivals. For Pilestedt, it could come full circle if he and the rest of Arrowhead Studios are given the green light to work on projects that inspired them in their youth.
Star Fox-Inspired Content Could Come to Helldivers 2
The idea is already there and fits with the existing setting of their game, all Arrowhead Studios needs now is permission from Sony and PlayStation to move forward and somehow find a way to respect the original owners because Nintendo does not take copyright infringement lightly as seen with the Palworld situation.
Players have gotten quite creative and even cinematic with the use of the eagle strike in Helldivers 2. Now imagine the possibility of allies requesting air support, and a player can fly on the battlefield and rain down bombs and hellfire on hostile forces. Pilestedt envisioned the game to be a collaborative experience amongst players and could stretch even further with this potential feature.
Helldivers 2 and Arrowhead Studios Johan Pilestedt Continues to Dangle 1 Weapon We All Want and Need
Star Fox is a relic from Nintendo’s past, but there are people from the time before who never gave up on classic titles, and more developers should practice reflecting on older titles to be inspired, like Pilestedt who ended up honoring the game through Helldivers 2. There is a treasure trove of great inspiration that can benefit modern gaming.
Would you like to see newer games like Helldivers 2 pay homage to legacy titles and utilize their gameplay mechanics? Let us know in the comments section below!
