Helldivers 2 is the perfect ‘dramatic death in a war movie’ simulator. You’re fighting alongside your buddies, desperately trying to keep wave after wave of monsters and giant bugs at bay, when suddenly ‘xXDudesrock4lifeXx’ gets hit, drops to the ground, and dies. You’ve only known him for five minutes, but the fires of combat have forged you together. In your mind, you sink to your knees, raise your fists to the sky, and scream. This is what Arrowhead’s shooter, which is still dominating on Steam, is truly about, the glory and melodrama of comradeship. Naturally, though, we’ve all been wondering about Helldivers 2 PvP. If you wanted to kill one another rather than the bugs, unfortunately, it’s never going to happen. Arrowhead’s CEO says it would make the game too toxic.
Helldivers 2 is not just the surprise co-op game of the year so far, but an early contender for one of the best games of 2024. Bright, fierce, and endlessly replayable, it’s already amassed a huge Steam player count record of more than 200,000 concurrent users, and sold over one million copies. Helldivers 2 feels simultaneously like a throwback, reminiscent of the best days of co-op Halo or maybe Lost Planet, while also serving as a model for how more games should function in the future. It’s not trying to be for everyone. It’s designed to amplify a singular, but endlessly eventful playing experience. And the microtransactions aren’t too intrusive. If you wanted Helldivers 2 PvP, however, you’re out of luck.
“We’ll ‘never’ add a PvP-mode,” Arrowhead CEO and Helldivers 2 creative director Johan Pilestedt says. “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.”
Responding to a commenter, who suggests that some game developers may be “scared” of adding PvP, Pilestedt continues. “Not scared. Just we don’t want the toxicity that naturally comes with it. There are plenty – actually most – games that provide PvP. We make games for people that just want to have a challenging time with friends but in a PvE setting.”
Frankly, this is refreshing. The creators of Helldivers 2 have a vision and seemingly won’t compromise it just to adhere to genre or market expectations. And it seems to be working. Earlier this week, Helldivers 2’s servers were so busy you literally couldn’t get into a match.
Check out some of the other best multiplayer games right now, or maybe the best FPS games if you want a change from Helldivers 2’s third-person action.
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