Helldivers 2 devs listen to all players, not just the loudest ones, Arrowhead CEO says

Helldivers 2, the third-person co-op shooter developed by Arrowhead Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, just launched five days ago on Xbox Series X|S—and that’s a big deal. Not just because it’s a solid game (which it is), but because it marks a major shift in Sony’s approach to platform exclusivity.

Traditionally a PlayStation (and PC) title, Helldivers 2 making its way to Xbox represents a rare cross-platform move for a Sony-published game. In a gaming landscape where crossplay and shared experiences are becoming the norm—evidenced by moves like the formerly Xbox-exclusive Forza Horizon series expanding with Forza Horizon 5 on Playstation 5, this release signals a potential new era of openness—and it couldn’t come at a better time. With a growing and passionate fanbase, expanding to Xbox gives the community more room to grow, which is especially important for a game that thrives on large-scale cooperation and shared progress.

While Helldivers 2 technically fits into the “live service” category, it sidesteps many of the negative connotations that come with that label. Instead of nickel-and-diming players with constant microtransactions, the game builds its experience around a community-driven narrative. The ongoing story evolves based on the collective actions of players, and new content—like weapons, enemies, mission types, and cosmetics—is introduced through War Bonds (its version of a battle pass) and time-limited in-game events.

In a recent discussion on the official Helldivers 2 Discord server, Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani weighed in on the influence content creators have on the game’s meta and community perception. The discussion began when a fan raised concerns that popular streamers, who have “made so much content for the game,” now tend to focus exclusively on flashy, overpowered weapons—dismissing everything else as subpar. The fan added that Helldivers 2 “was never made to be played for 4,000 hours” and suggested that this hyper-optimized, content-driven approach misrepresents how the game was meant to be enjoyed.

Jorjani acknowledged the concern, noting that “this is a challenge for all games.” He pointed out that while streamers often shape community expectations, they actually represent “the playstyle of a minority”—even if their platforms give them outsized influence. “They set standards for many,” he said, “as they have a platform to broadcast and many who look.”

As for how Arrowhead handles this dynamic, Jorjani explained that the team balances feedback by examining a wide range of inputs, saying: “We balance things out internally by looking at a lot of data, metrics, and qualitative data like said streamers.”

Jorjani states that although streamers are very vocal, their playstyle and judgements are still a minority within Helldivers 2’s broader player base. “The vast, vast majority silently play the game—they don’t post here or on Reddit,” he explained. “When we do good, we see this in the stats—and when we don’t, we also see it. Sometimes it overlaps with what influencers or people say on social media—often it does not. So we use different tools to calibrate our compass.”

While Arrowhead clearly understands the importance of balancing various forms of feedback, Jorjani is candid about the reality of game development: “That doesn’t mean we always get it right (we screw up all the time).” Still, he remains optimistic, adding, “We keep learning and improving—as proven by the recent appreciation, player numbers, and sales.” That ongoing improvement is on display today with the release of “Into the Unjust,” the game’s latest update, which sees new content in the form of Terminid Hive Worlds and a variety of deadly new Terminid enemies.

Helldivers 2 players, do you find it reassuring that as CEO Shams Jorjani puts it, Helldivers 2 devs listen to all players, not just the loudest ones like streamers and power users? Do you think this attitude will continue to allow Arrowhead to continue to flourish into the flagship studio they want to become? Let us know in the comments.