The hit co-op shooter Helldivers 2 seems ripe for a crossover, but which franchises could it partner with? It’s a fun conversation that players have been having since the game’s explosive launch earlier this year. Now the innovative director of Helldivers 2 has spoken out and revealed a number of intellectual properties he would love to work on.
In tweetArrowhead innovative director and Helldivers 2 innovative director Johan Pilestedt cautioned against doing too many crossovers, saying that “it would dilute the intellectual brand and make it not a Helldivers experience.” However, he also posted an expanded list of IP addresses he would “really want to try!”
- Aliens
- Spaceship soldiers
- Terminator
- Predator
- Star Wars
- The fifth element
- Blade Runner
- Warhammer 40k
- Trench Crusade
- Mutant Chronicles
- Drop zone commander
It’s straightforward to see how many of these franchises would work in Helldivers 2. Starship Troopers is an obvious choice, given Helldivers 2 riffs so heavily on the cult classic sci-fi film. Terminator also seems like an straightforward fit, considering Automaton’s alien enemy is basically Terminators themselves. It’s nice to think about Aliens, Predators and Star Wars, but my favorite is Warhammer 40,000.
It would be great to descend to a planet infested by Tyranids or Necrons as an Imperial Guard soldier, equipped with weapons, vehicles and, of course, dialogues faithfully reflecting the knowledge. Yes, Warhammer 40,000 fans now have the wonderful and hugely successful Space Marine 2 at their disposal, but it’s a Space Marine game. Helldivers 2 is already close enough to Imperial Guard. I’d drop a dollar or 10 on a crossover with the Imperial Guard in a heartbeat.
Which brings us to the next question: How could Helldivers 2 do crossovers if it ever happened? In another tweetPilestedt suggested that this could be in the form of war bonds (in Helldivers 2 it’s a battle pass) or even individual items from the super shop.
“Having a full Starship Troopers combat bond with mobile infantry armor, voices, and weapons would be cool too!” Pilestedt said, before emphasizing: “Nothing has been decided yet. Just reflection :)”
Could Arrowhead make a crossover deal? Helldivers 2 certainly did well enough to attract some massive players. Let’s not forget that Helldivers 2 is PlayStation Studios’ fastest-selling game of all time, selling an incredible 12 million copies in just 12 weeks. And although the number of players on Steam is not what it used to be, it is still at a very good level.
For now, however, crossover dreams remain just that. In the shorter term, Arrowhead continues to update Helldivers 2 with modern war bonds and patches, with the threat of a modern alien faction emerging from beyond the galactic horizon.
Wesley is the UK news editor at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. Wesley can be reached at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wy100@proton.me.
