Arrowhead Explains the One Condition for Helldivers 3 to Happen

Arrowhead Game Studios is in no rush to release Helldivers 3. Management believes that a sequel only makes sense if it differs drastically from Helldivers 2, allowing both titles to coexist independently.

The studio's Creative Director, Johan Pilestedt, suggested that a third installment would only become relevant if players simply stopped logging into the current game. Pilestedt praised the player base as the primary driving force behind Helldivers 2, noting that they constantly bring in friends, create memes, and keep the project alive. In his view, such an active community completely eliminates the studio's need to push out a sequel.

According to Pilestedt, making a standalone sequel only makes sense if it is so fundamentally distinct from the original that both games can thrive side by side.

Currently, about 95% of Arrowhead’s staff remain focused on expanding Helldivers 2, while a small team works on a prototype for the studio's next project. Arrowhead's total workforce sits at around 150 employees.

Pilestedt is convinced that the biggest competitor for a potential Helldivers 3 would be Helldivers 2 itself. Launching a sequel would completely wipe out player progress and force the audience to start from scratch—providing yet another strong argument against rushing into a new game. For now, Arrowhead finds it far more sensible to polish Helldivers 2 daily and maintain their current momentum, rather than shifting focus to a sequel.

Additionally, the live-action Helldivers movie adaptation was recently pushed back to the summer of 2028.

Do you think the studio should release a third game, or is it better to keep expanding Helldivers 2?