Arrowhead Studio’s Helldivers 2 is finally out after 8 years in the making, and it’s pulling numbers far beyond what the studio could imagine. The co-op shooter recently broke 450,000 concurrent players on Steam and continues to surpass its all-time highs as more players discover this gem.
While PC and PS5 players unite to spread liberty and exterminate bugs on the fictional planet Super Earth, the game has unexpectedly roused sentiments for their Xbox brethren to join them in doing so as well, with numerous fans demanding that the game be ported to Xbox consoles.
Managed Democracy For All Platforms
The central tenet of Helldivers 2, which made it a runaway success, is teamwork. Four players are dropped into a battlefield full of bugs or robots, with nothing but guns, hilarious one-liners, and a burning desire to serve the enemies a hot cup of Liber-tea. It’s no wonder that the shooter has skyrocketed in popularity.
Helldivers 2‘s wacky nature and surprisingly challenging gunplay are what make it so great. While the occasional friendly fire incident might occur, the core gameplay loop thrives on communication, collaboration, and the occasional bout of laughter when your teammate gets squashed under a stratagem.
Since the game was released only on PC and PS5, Xbox players are sadly missing out on it. However, instead of PS5 players gloating over their exclusive access, a remarkable phenomenon has emerged – a unified front calling for an Xbox release.
Social media posts from Arrowhead’s official accounts are flooded with thousands of Starship Troopers GIFs and demands for an Xbox version in the comments. There’s even a Change.org petition titled “Bring Helldivers 2 to Xbox – Fans Await Thrilling Co-op Action,” which has garnered over 68,000 signatures and continues to climb.
Interestingly, this support doesn’t solely originate from Xbox players yearning for the game. Many PS5 players, longing to fight alongside their friends on Xbox, have actively added their voices to the cause. Witnessing PlayStation and Xbox players, usually locked in a heated competition over exclusives, advocating for multiplatform availability is a sight rarely seen but much welcomed.
Despite the potential for further server strain by adding Xbox players, PS5 and PC players are willing to accept this inconvenience to welcome a larger community and spread more democracy.
Even Phil Spencer Would Welcome Helldivers 2 on Xbox
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has also expressed his support for an Xbox release in a recent interview. With regard to Helldivers 2, he said,
“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’s staunch opposition to exclusivity is in line with Xbox’s recent change in strategy, bringing previously exclusive titles Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, and Pentiment to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, further expanding their reach towards a wider audience.
The Helldivers 2 petition and Microsoft’s new direction signify a potential shift towards a more inclusive future, where games reach their potential player base regardless of platform.
While the immediate future of Helldivers 2 on Xbox remains uncertain, the movement it has inspired represents a significant step forward, reminding us that when everyone plays, we all win.
