05 March 2024 , 11:05
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Helldivers 2 has been the breakout hit of 2024 so far, but many are wondering when it'll be time for players on Xbox to join in the battle against the Terminid scum.
While Palworld may have been 2024's first trendy game, that disappeared from public consciousness just as fast as it appeared, but Helldivers 2 is still going strong a month after release (wild what actually being a good game will do for you!). But the prevailing question among the gaming community is will Helldivers 2 come to Xbox? While it being a Sony published game may make that unlikely, it hasn't stopped the likes of Xbox boss Phil Spencer from fanning the flames.
After announcing Sea of Thieves and three other Xbox exclusives will be coming to PlayStation and Nintendo platforms during the dedicated Xbox podcast last month, Spencer spoke with Game File (via Pure Xbox) and addressed the Helldivers 2 on Xbox situation, saying, "I will say, 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. If you try to twist yourself to say, like, somehow that benefited somebody somewhere," while simultaneously acknowledging the benefit of exclusive titles.
Arrowhead Game Studios' CEO, Johan Pilestedt, also objects to his studio's game being used in daft console wars nonsense, replying to a tweet comparing Helldivers and Xbox's Halo saying "Why compare? Just let gamers love and enjoy both, either or neither. We need more compassion and union in the world, and less rivalry". He later replied to another tweet by saying that "Neither monopoly or cut-throat competition makes the world a better place".
Is a Helldivers 2 Xbox release on the cards?
In the games industry you have to say 'never say never' a lot – remember we didn't have crossplay as standard until a few years ago, thanks in large part, to Fortnite. But truth be told I don't think a Helldivers 2 Xbox release is likely. Unlike games that were originally PlayStation exclusives and later made the jump – like Yakuza 0, Persona 5 Royal, and Nier Automata – Sony owns the Helldivers IP, and is a bit more stingy about putting its games on other platforms than Microsoft is.
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That being said, stranger things have happened, Arrowhead's CEO seems up for it, Phil Spencer wants it, and the fans on Xbox want it – plus, Helldivers 2 is a massive success on Steam already. If there's enough of a push for it in the community it could happen down the line – heck, there's already a petition that has gathered almost 100K signatures out of its 150K goal – but I wouldn't expect it for a while based on how long it takes PlayStation games to come to PC usually.