Helldivers 2 director doesn't want fans to spark 'rivalry' with Halo, 'just let gamers love and enjoy both'

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"Why compare?"

A Helldiver poses with their squad while fighting bugs
(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)

Helldivers 2 game director and CEO of Arrowhead Game Studios Johan Pilestedt has weighed in on petty gaming rivalries, urging players to look for "compassion and union" over drama. 

In response to a post on Twitter / X comparing Halo and Helldivers 2, Pilestedt responded: "Why compare? Just let gamers love and enjoy both, either or neither. We need more compassion and union in the world, and less rivalry."   

Not getting the message, the original poster, replied: "You are awesome Piles, but Halo still got DECIMATED [sic.] by Helldivers." 

While both titles are sci-fi shooters, Halo and Helldivers 2 are very different titles. The former is a first-person shooter that offers a thrilling super-solder power fantasy in player vs environment (PvE) campaigns and player vs. player (PvP) matchmaking. Helldivers 2, conversely, is a third-person shooter with an emphasis on team-based PvE and high levels of lethality for players and enemies alike. 

While Halo ranks among some of the best FPS games ever made, Helldivers 2 offers a different sort of experience and is easily one the best co-op games.

When asked about "friendly rivalry" between games, Pilestedt replied that, while he liked the idea, "Neither monopoly or cut-throat competition makes the world a better place."

Pilestedt's Twitter / X page is full of this sort of wholesomeness. In another post, he urges experienced Helldivers to "give the new player the shield backpack and the railgun. You can do without it if you're a true Helldiver." 

Helldivers 2 has enjoyed a surge of popularity since its release last month. The sci-fi shooter's appeal has been so unexpected that Arrowhead has been forced to deal with unforeseen technical hurdles thanks to oversubscribed servers. Towards the end of February, the studio was able to raise the concurrent player cap to 700,000 in an effort to make wait times "much more bearable."

In our review, editor-in-chief Jake Tucker praised the game's "frenetic gunfights" and pervasive sense of "chaotic fun." Having spent 15 hours with the game so far, I'm happy to echo Jake's sentiments. It's an excellent sci-fi shooter, and well worth a look.

Want a change of pace from bug-killing? Check out our lists of the best indie games and the best PC strategy games.

Cat Bussell
Cat Bussell
Freelance contributor

An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.

A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.