Utter the name Helldivers 2 and expect to get mobbed by a variety of opinions. Many feel the game is one of the best things to come out of the PlayStation camp in a long time and are happy that they brought it to PC as well. Others will cite the recent account-linking fiasco and the unavailability of the game in countries that don’t have PSN.
The PvE co-op squad shooter has built a strong fan base for itself over the past few months. We now see just how strong that fan base is, as a recent earnings call from Sony has revealed just how many gamers have enlisted to join the Super Earth army!
Helldivers 2 Reaches an Impressive Milestone Despite Controversies
Numbers are not everything when it comes to deciding the quality of a game, but they are a good marker when it comes to gauging popularity. We all knew Helldivers 2 was popular among PlayStation and Steam users, but now we have a number to back up that opinion.
Johan Pilestedt, the CEO of Arrowhead Game Studio, has revealed on X that Helldivers 2 has sold over 12 million copies! He compared this number to the population of Sweden, stating that there are more Helldivers than there are Swedes. He goes on to thank the rest of the team and the community for supporting their title as much as they have.
Coming off the back of some intense backlash due to the Steam and PSN account linking mandate, this is some much-needed encouragement and praise for the team behind the game. While the decision was taken by Sony, Arrowhead dealt with the majority of the criticism, with Pilestedt even stating explicitly that he is not blameless in the situation.
The game was pulling in a concurrent player base in the hundreds of thousands before the mandate. This number must have taken a hit since then due to the ongoing account-linking controversies. That fact should not take away from the achievement, though, and plenty of people are hoping the game can bounce back to its former glory.
The Game Is Still Unlisted in Many Countries
While the Helldivers 2 community is largely understanding, a certain section is continuing to criticize their lack of action regarding the game being delisted in countries that do not support PSN. While the team has mentioned they are working on a fix, the issue is taking time as there are several hurdles to jump over.
The team is also looking to add new content to the game. A new enemy faction is going to be introduced soon, requiring battles to be waged on a new front. This new enemy, The Illuminate, is one of the smartest the Helldivers have faced, and it remains to be seen what Joel has planned.
Hopefully, the issue with the delisted countries is resolved before the new faction is brought in, as the Helldivers will need a strong force to fight against The Illuminate. It would also help to bump the 12 million sales to even greater heights.
Do you think Helldivers 2 is deserving of the hype? Let us know why or why not in the comments below!
