Helldivers 2 has been a massive success for Arrowhead Studios, garnering over 360k concurrent players between PS5 and PC (via Steam), which is why fans are wondering what's next for the third-person shooter in terms of content.
The devs confirmed in a Sony blog that they have multiple free updates prepared for the foreseeable future. Adding to that, Arrowhead Studios CEO Johan Pilestedt announced on social media that they are expanding their team to meet the demand for Helldivers 2 content.
Sadly, don't expect any of the upcoming updates to feature PvP of any kind, with the CEO himself once again taking to social media to explain the reasoning behind keeping Helldivers 2 a co-op experience through and through.
After a Twitter user said Arrowhead would need to add some sort of competitive multiplayer to attract the Call of Duty crowd, Pilestedt responded that they would "never" add PvP. Not due to some technical restraint, but because they want to keep toxicity away from Helldivers 2.
Hey; We'll 'never' add a PvP-mode. This is to reduce toxic elements from the community. We want an environment that's supportive, fun and where we all are fighting on the same side!
So far, Helldivers 2 is actually quite dry when it comes to game modes, featuring no campaign or different PvE modes to play in, instead focusing on a simple gameplay loop that sees players drop into a randomised map as they try to defend Super Earth from invading aliens as they grind for better gear and weapons.
The game does have some live-service elements to it, including a battle pass with free and premium tracks, however, fans haven't had a problem with monetisation as it's less intrusive and obnoxious than other games-as-a-service titles.
It's worth noting that Pilestedt put "never" in quotations, suggesting that he may have been speaking in figurative speech and that their position may change when it comes to PvP.
In the meantime, sorry sweaty Call of Duty gamers, you'll have to look elsewhere for another competitive experience.