After a chaotic weekend, Helldivers 2 just showed us that the high rewards of live service come with some serious risks.
Helldivers 2 was on top of the world. Released in February to surprise acclaim, PlayStation and Arrowhead ’s co-op shooter quickly became the kind of success story that any gaming company would want to emulate. In a world of live service risks, this one was paying off thanks to a dedicated community whose commitment to democracy showed no signs of slowing down.
Betting on live service On paper, Helldivers 2 had done everything right since its release. For starters, it was anchored by strong third-person shooting and thoughtfully implemented co-op play. That core gave PlayStation and Arrowhead a lot of flexibility that other games like it don’t always have. It allowed them to charge $40 for it rather than pushing it as a free-to-play game and still thread in paid microtransactions. Even a buggy launch filled with server issues couldn’t hold it back.
These are the exact things that every publisher prays for when releasing a live service game — but few actually achieve them. Just look at other less successful attempts this year like Ubisoft’s Skull and Bones and Square Enix’s Foamstars. Both failed to elicit the same reaction, leaving their futures less certain. It might leave you asking why either company would take such pricey gambles, but Helldivers 2 showed why some missed shots can be worth the effort.
The dominoes fell from there. The game was delisted from 170 countries, cratering its potential player base. A wave of “overwhelmingly negative” Steam reviews followed. More extreme fans took to social media to harass Arrowhead employees and aim ire at its community managers, despite the fact that it appeared to be a top-down PlayStation decision that Arrowhead had little say in. Public sentiment turned on a dime, tarnishing a beloved game’s reputation instantly.
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