Helldivers 2, the co-op third-person shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios, is the most surprising but deserving hit of 2024. The game is the direct sequel to the top-down shooter Helldivers, which was released back in 2015. The game has broken several records since its release in February.
The game has been praised by both fans and critics as they fight for democracy against the Automatons and Terminids. But this fun co-op game probably would not have existed if it wasn’t for the Mario developer Nintendo, as it was an inspiration for Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt.
There Wouldn’t Be a Helldivers 2 if not for Nintendo
Johan Pilestedt, the CEO of Arrowhead Game Studios and creative director of Helldivers 2, has been very active on social media ever since the release of the game. He has been interacting with the fans and answering all the questions and queries about the game.
Pilestedt has now revealed that he is also one of the Mario developer fanboys, which is why he became a game developer. An X/Twitter user posted a picture of the most popular PlayStation and Nintendo franchises side by side with their signature blue and red colors, claiming that these two are “only” the “real” gaming brands.
Also, the reason why I became a game dev is @Nintendo. All love for all games everywhere! ❤️
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) March 27, 2024
Pilestedt replied to the user, asking them why there isn’t a Helldiver featured on the blue side that shows the PlayStation icons, saying, “Where is the blue side’s champ for democracy?” In the follow-up to his initial reply, he added that Nintendo is “the reason” why he became a game developer and added, “All love for all games everywhere!”
The developer did not dive more into the topic, but in another reply to one user, he said that Star Fox is probably one of his favorite titles of all time and that he “replayed it 3 months ago.” It’s safe to say that despite the game being exclusive, the house of Mario is responsible for it being a thing.
Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2 Continues Its Success Run
Whether it be PlayStation or the House of Mario, Helldivers 2 continues to be a smash hit and break records. The game became the best PC release from PlayStation days after its release, leaving behind acclaimed titles like God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man.
The game also left behind titles like GTA 5, Starfield, Destiny, and several others with the most concurrent players on Steam. The game has seen hordes of players join the fight for democracy, which has led to server crashes, but Arrowhead has been regularly at work and constantly increasing the server cap, and it’s all sorted now.
The developer has also been adding new content for players, and that has kept players hooked on the game. The newly released Premium Warbond, called Cutting Edge, brought new armor, weapons, and a lot more. The mechs have also been added, and the fight for democracy continues like it did on day one.
What are your thoughts about Johan Pilestedt and his connection to Nintendo? Let us know in the comments.
