Smash hit co-op shooter Helldivers 2 seems ripe for a crossover, but which franchises might it partner with? That’s a fun conversation players have been having ever since the game’s explosive launch earlier this year. Now, Helldivers 2’s creative director has had his say, revealing a number of intellectual properties he’d love to work with.
In a tweet, Arrowhead CCO and Helldivers 2 creative director Johan Pilestedt cautioned against doing too many crossovers, saying “it would dilute the IP and make it a ‘not Helldivers’ experience.” However, he also published an extended list of IPs he “really would love to do a take on!”
- Aliens
- Starship Troopers
- Terminator
- Predator
- Star Wars
- Fifth Element
- Blade Runner
- Warhammer 40k
- Trench Crusade
- Mutant Chronicles
- Dropzone Commander
It’s easy to see how many of these franchises would work within Helldivers 2. Starship Troopers is the obvious choice, given Helldivers 2 riffs so heavily on the cult classic sci-fi flick. Terminator, too, seems an easy fit, given the Automaton alien enemy are basically Terminators themselves. Aliens, Predator, and Star Wars are fun to think about, but my favorite is Warhammer 40,000.
It would be amazing to drop down into a planet overrun by Tyranids or Necrons as an Imperial Guard soldier, complete with lore-accurate weapons, vehicles, and, of course, dialogue. Yes, Warhammer 40,000 fans have the wonderful and hugely successful Space Marine 2 to play right now, but that’s a Space Marine game. Helldivers 2 is near enough an Imperial Guard game already. I’d drop a dollar or 10 on an Imperial Guard crossover in a heartbeat.
Which brings us on to the next question: how might Helldivers 2 do crossovers if it ever came to it? In a subsequent tweet, Pilestedt suggested it could come in the form of a Warbond (Helldivers 2’s take on a battle pass) or even individual super store items.
“Having a full Starship Troopers Warbond with mobile infantry armor, voices and weapons would also be cool!” Pilestedt said, before stressing: “Nothing decided yet. Just musings :)”
Can Arrowhead do a deal for a crossover? Helldivers 2 has certainly done well enough to draw out some big hitters. Let’s not forget that Helldivers 2 is the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game of all time, selling an incredible 12 million copies in just 12 weeks. And while player numbers on Steam aren’t what they once were, they’re still extremely healthy.
For now, though, crossover dreams remain just that. In the shorter term, Arrowhead continues to update Helldivers 2 with new Warbonds and patches, with the threat of a new alien faction looming over the galactic horizon.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.