As one of the first big hits of the year,Helldivers 2had players spring into action to protect the fabric of intergalactic democracy. Since February,Helldivers 2players have saved children, eliminated an impressive number of Terminids and Automatons, and banded together for the sake of liberty. Following such a hit release, there are many questions about whereHelldivers 2will go from here.
The recent announcement ofHelldivers 2’s next major updateis a promising step forward. Scheduled to launch August 6, the Escalation of Freedom update brings more enemies and even a higher difficulty level to the mix. However, due toHelldivers 2’s live service approach, there has been speculation that the game may eventually feature crossovers. Although crossovers in live service games are quite common,Helldivers 2is likely best served by avoiding such collaborations.
Helldivers 2 Featuring Crossovers Could Hurt Immersion
Helldivers 2 Has Specific and Well-Crafted Lore
One of the mostfascinating aspects aboutHelldivers 2is the game’s lore. The satirical authoritarian government of Super Earth is the cornerstone of the series.Helldivers 2has a special brand of satire that keeps it from being a suitable fit for other franchises to intermingle with. The humor ofHelldivers 2plays an integral part in how the game’s story progresses, and adding other popular games or pop culture phenomenons to that would easily take many players out of the narrative.
Of course, there are specific arguments to be made for certainfranchises to be featured inHelldivers 2, but it would ultimately be best to avoid them. It’s easy to imagine a scenario where a player is fully immersed in a battle with Automatons only for them to be distracted by a player wearing a Doom Slayer or Master Chief skin. Iconic sci-fi game franchises likeDoom,Halo, andDeadSpaceseem like good crossover ideas at first, but they could ultimately fall flat and feel like a cheap gimmick.
Helldivers2’s carefully curated tone is one of the main features players have been so drawn to. AlthoughHelldivers 2highlights real world problemslike rampant authoritarianism, it does so in a wonderfully clever way that a crossover would simply spoil. It would be hard to take the message of blind patriotism’s absurdity seriously if the battlefield began to look more likeFortniteand less likeHelldivers 2.Fortnite’s crossovers may have kept the game on top for years, butHelldivers 2just doesn’t have the right tone to go down that route.
No Plans For Crossover in Helldivers 2 is a Good Thing
As of now, developer Arrowhead Game Studios has no knownplans to bring crossovers toHelldivers 2. However, the developer hasn’t fully rejected the idea, either. Previous statements from community manager Teambird expressed the studio’s willingness to include crossovers, but only if they make sense with the lore ofHelldivers 2. Out of all the potential collaborations to come toHelldivers 2,Falloutcould possibly be the best, since both franchises deal with the dangers of propaganda.
It’s good news that Arrowhead Game Studios cares so much about the game’s lore, and this approach to crossovers is likely for the best. Of course, this may ultimately mean thatHelldivers 2never sees any crossovers in its lifetime, but that’s okay. There are plenty of live service games that have crossovers down to a science at this point. One of the biggestfeatures that makesHelldivers 2so intriguingis that it’s a live service game that seems to forego many of the genre’s established trends. If not featuring crossovers is what it takes to keep the game’s spirit alive, then so be it.
Helldivers 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Do you believe in freedom? Can you stand in the face of oppression – and defend the defenceless? Wage war for peace. Die for democracy.Join forces with up to three friends and wreak havoc on an alien scourge threatening the safety of your home planet, Super Earth, in this multiplayer co-op shooter for PS5 and PC from Arrowhead Game Studios.Step into the boots of the Helldivers, an elite class of soldiers whose mission is to spread peace, liberty and Managed Democracy using the biggest, baddest and most explosive tools in the galaxy.Helldivers don’t go planet side without proper backup, but it’s up to you to decide how and when to call it in. Not only do you have a host of superpowered primary weapons and customizable loadouts, you also have the ability to call on stratagems during play.Helldivers 2 features Arrowhead’s best cooperative gameplay yet. Collaboration will be vital: Teams will synergize on loadouts, strategize their approach for each mission and complete objectives together.1Enlist in Super Earth’s premier military peacekeeping force today. We are heroes… we are legends… WE ARE HELLDIVERS.
