Helldivers 2 has been a major success story in the live service market, despite some bumps in the road. However, its upcoming port to Xbox systems may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing; Helldivers 2on Xbox could pull some interesting moves to point undecided gamers towards PlayStation.
In an era where its model is perhaps more controversial than ever, the live-service elements of Helldivers 2 have gone over well with fans across the world. While the game has been party to a number of controversies, and isn’t currently sitting at the heights it reached during the title’s 2024 peak, Helldivers 2 has nonetheless proven to be another solid exclusive for PlayStation.
Sony’s decision to bring Helldivers 2 to Xbox shows that maybe Microsoft is right about porting its games to multiple platforms.
Helldivers 2 On Xbox Might Be A PlayStation Gambit
However, that exclusivity status is on its last legs, with a Helldivers 2 Xbox port just around the corner. Poised for August 26th, this port will be a major event for the game, especially considering the disparity between Microsoft and PlayStation when it comes to exclusives. Microsoft seemingly opens up every exclusive it has, from Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to Palworld, while Sony focuses on crafting solid exclusive experiences (with series like God of War, Horizon, and Insomniac’s Spider-Man being crucial to its strategy).
While it seems as if Helldivers 2 is breaking this convention now, there might be a different sort of gambit behind the decision than first anticipated. This idea first cropped up when fans posed the scenario of Helldivers 2 on Game Pass, something that was quickly shot down by Arrowhead’s community manager, Baskinator. Baskinator’s response to the idea on the official Helldivers 2 Discord was a decisive “Definitely not. No plans to bring it to gamepass.” Considering that the greatest boon Sony will likely get from going cross-platform is an expanded playerbase, this could be seen as the company shooting itself in the foot—but there are also ways Sony stands to gain from this decision. There are a number of levers Sony could pull to make its own version of the game more desirable, all without compromising the upcoming port.
Sony Could Make Helldivers 2 Free On PS Plus Soon
Microsoft is in a rough spot when it comes to the current console war, but the Xbox Game Pass has long been an ace up its sleeve. Neither Nintendo nor Sony have been able to replicate the success of Game Pass, making the service Microsoft’s defining tool in console competition, especially with Microsoft’s rampant acquisition spree.
However, if Sony stops Helldivers 2 on Game Pass but opens it up for free on PS Plus, the company might finally have an edge in this area. The direct contrast between versions would be a major propaganda win, revealing the heel of Microsoft’s proverbial Achilles; it would show that Game Pass isn’t as far-reaching as Xbox claims it to be, and it would show that Sony is still offering a solid exclusive experience. Moreover, Sony could also release bigger PlayStation exclusive packs, and/or reserve the best sales of the game for its own platform. Weakening Game Pass would be the biggest win of such a strategy, but ensuring fans of the platform that Sony will retain PlayStation’s exclusivity sovereignty would also be a major asset.
While this is all speculation about Sony’s possible strategies, these hypotheticals exclude the idea of outright port sabotage. This is a possibility, as it’s something Sony feared Xbox would do once the latter got its hands on Call of Duty, but would likely be an own goal. Not only would Sony not gain anything from the Xbox audience, it’s likely that players would rightfully blame Sony for such a scheme. If Sony does want to use Helldivers 2 as a way to show up Xbox on its own turf, a few platform-based bells and whistles for the PlayStation version is the most likely route.
