Helldivers 2 was released on February 8 last year and to the surprise of many, it became one of the biggest games of 2024. One of the reasons it did is because of how well Arrowhead Game Studios executed the live-service model and how well it knows its audience. There’s one part where they knew us all too well.
When it came to the decision to include or exclude a Player versus Player mode (PvP), the choice was a resounding no. As CEO Johan Pilestedt explained in a pre-release interview, fostering a positive, collaborative community was a top priority. That’s why the first, and now the second game has been a success.
In a pre-release interview with Comics Gaming Magazine, the then-CEO Johan Pilestedt explained why PvP wasn’t added to Helldivers 2. And you’ll probably agree with his reasoning.
But, when we actually made it into like a goal to be competitive, with other people in the game, we noticed that the toxicity in the community went up. And looking at the original Helldivers game, we had very low toxicity in general—people were extremely friendly.
So by focusing solely on the PvE (player versus environment) aspects of the game, Pilestedt, and the developers wanted to make it so players like you and me could thrive together regardless of skill level and without judgment or hostility.
Even after the game’s launch, some players online were curious as to why there was no PvP. Pilestedt was happy to make his and the studio’s stance abundantly clear by saying, “We’ll ‘never’ add a PvP mode. This is to reduce toxic elements from the community.” And honestly, big props to him and Arrowhead.
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!
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) February 14, 2024
In response to claims that the studio is avoiding PvP due to competition from other games, Pilestedt clarified, “Not scared. Just we don’t want the toxicity that naturally comes with it. There are plenty, actually most, games that provide PvP.“
It’s almost a year later and we know now that it was the right move. The devs knew what kind of game they were shipping, and what kind of audience they were shipping it to. It works and there’s no need to make it what it’s not. It’s as the saying goes, a game for everyone is a game for no one.
Helldivers 2 is now one of the best live service titles you can pick up even in 2025. The game won the Best Ongoing Game award at The Game Award 2024 and also the Best Multiplayer Game award at The Golden Joystick Awards 2024. It has also sold more than 12 million copies within three months of its release.
Despite its cooperative nature, Helldivers 2 isn’t without its goofy side effects. Friendly fire, orbital strikes, and even respawning mechanics can unintentionally or intentionally lead to team kills. This has made for a lot of funny and entertaining clips over the last 11 months and it’s a very fun part of the game. At least for the ones not on the receiving end.
Would you have wanted Arrowhead to include PvP in Helldivers 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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