Helldivers 2 Might Just Be the Next Major Trendsetter for Shooters

Highlights

• Helldivers 2’s success may result in new trends for shooters that are based on its innovative core gameplay loops.
• The game’s online presence post-launch, driven by player engagement on social media platforms, has greatly contributed to its popularity.
• Helldivers 2’s unique galaxy-spanning gameplay formula could inspire other popular franchises to explore similar cooperative, live-service shooter experiences. Halo and Titanfall would be good examples of properties where a Helldivers-like looter shooter could work well.

Just like any other part of the wider entertainment industry, video game trends have come and gone countless times, often affecting large portions of the gaming industry for a little while, before disappearing completely. Of course, when a video game trend proves to be successful, it hangs around a lot longer, but it often undergoes major changes to become a permanent part of the video game industry. A perfect example of this was the rise of the battle royale, popularized by games like Fortnite and PUBG. But after Call of Duty: Warzone and Apex Legends joined the party, the desire to make battle royales quickly left the industry. And now, Helldivers 2 could be on the verge of kickstarting the industry’s newest trend.

Released back at the start of February, Helldivers 2 has dominated much of the wider video game consciousness for the last month. A live-service multiplayer shooter that sees players drop onto a planet, eradicate as many bugs and Automatons as possible, complete some objectives, and extract with as much loot as possible, Helldivers 2 offers an addictive core gameplay loop, and it’s this gameplay loop that could end up giving the industry its newest short-term obsession.

Helldivers 2 Could Start a New Trend for Military Shooters

Helldivers 2 Has Been a Resounding Success

Just three days after its release, Helldivers 2 had sold an incredibly impressive one million copies. Though technically a sequel to a 2015 PS Vita and PS4 game, Helldivers 2 is far from an established IP, and its ability to sell over a million copies so quickly is a sheer testament to the game’s quality. And that was just the start. Over the course of February, Helldivers 2 has only continued to grow in sales and mainstream popularity, with it recently being semi-confirmed by Arrowhead Studios that the game has managed to sell around three million copies in just three weeks.

The surprising success of Helldivers 2 likely comes down to a few major factors, the first of which is the game’s core premise and gameplay loop. A satirical take on modern world politics through the lens of a Sci-Fi galaxy-wide war, Helldivers 2 channels the very best of Starship Troopers while also carving out its own unique identity. The same can be said for Helldivers 2‘s gameplay, which takes elements from extraction shooters like Escape From Tarkov and twists them in new and exciting ways, such as turning the simple act of calling in a Strategem ability into a Dance Dance Revolution-like minigame.

Another major factor behind Helldivers 2‘s success – which is only really possible due to the game’s high quality – is Helldivers 2‘s online presence. While its initial marketing push from Sony was substantial, a great deal of Helldivers 2‘s most effective marketing has actually come post-launch, with thousands of players taking to Twitter and TikTok to ask for support on specific planets, or to share their most chaotic, movie-worthy battles.

Helldivers 2’s Formula Would Work Well with Other Franchises

It’s clear that Helldivers 2 is already one of the biggest games of 2024, and where there’s success in the gaming space, there’s usually a horde of big video game publishers that want a piece of the pie. It’s a very real possibility that Helldivers 2‘s unique galaxy-spanning gameplay loop and live-service approach could go on to be used by other developers, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

There are a wealth of popular video game franchises that could work wonders with Helldivers 2‘s gameplay formula. The Halo franchise is a natural first pick, with its own Orbital Drop Shock Troopers looking remarkably similar to Helldivers‘ titular Sci-Fi soldiers, but interestingly, it was recently revealed by former 343 Industries lead designer Kevin Schmitt that a number of ODST-themed pitches were made years ago, including one that apparently shared similarities with Helldivers. Other Sci-Fi gaming franchises like Titanfall and even Doom would also be natural fits for Helldivers 2‘s formula. Even Call of Duty could give the formula a go, maybe implementing it inside Warzone like it did with the extraction shooter mode DMZ.