As we step into 2025, Arrowhead, the studio that brought us one of last year’s standout games, Helldivers 2, shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, Johan Pilestedt, the Chief Creative Officer of Arrowhead and a familiar face in the gaming community, hinted that this latest installment might evolve into its successor through updates over time.
While many players spent their holidays tackling The Illuminate, Arrowhead managed to defuse concerns about the game’s Killzone crossover gear pricing. During this time, Pilestedt engaged with fans on social media, hinting at exciting possibilities on the horizon.
In a Twitter conversation just before Christmas, a fan inquired about the potential for Helldivers 2 to eventually support eight-player co-op. Though Pilestedt confirmed this isn’t feasible at present—citing limitations in the game’s engine, network architecture, UI, performance, and difficulty—he did mention that it’s an ongoing topic of discussion at the studio. “Significant investment” would be needed, but it’s “not impossible.”
Perhaps the most intriguing part of his response came when Pilestedt addressed a playful suggestion about Helldivers 3, mentioning, “We are growing Helldivers 2 into Helldivers 3…. so you may be correct. Except maybe swimming—I don’t think it’s possible to swim in a heavy plate carrier with a rifle and support weapons.” This humorous take acknowledges a playful tradition among their games where protagonists aren’t able to swim.
Naturally, this sparked substantial conversation on the game’s subreddit. Many fans are supportive, eager for Arrowhead to continue enhancing the game, which is less than a year old, through major updates. However, some players express concern about the limitations of the game’s older engine. As user pokiane pointed out, there’s a fear of missing out on potential new features like more than four players, massive maps, and varied enemies due to these constraints.
While fans debate these points, Pilestedt shifted focus to another potential feature: full-size miniguns. In response to a Reddit user sharing a video of someone firing a toy minigun, Pilestedt explained, “Miniguns as a carried weapon are notoriously problematic due to their recoil, causing people to be pushed backwards in real life.” He suggested a game mechanic where players would be moved backwards unless taking up a stable firing position. Implementing this feature would also require solving the issue of a weapon occupying two slots, which the game currently doesn’t support. Once these challenges are addressed, the 5.5mm minigun could be introduced.
Pilestedt wrapped up the discussion by inviting suggestions on how to incorporate a minigun into Helldivers, with some fans already proposing ideas like stamina drain-based recoil. If you have thoughts, be sure to share them—you just might influence Helldivers’ future arsenal.
