Helldivers 2 may not be my favorite game of 2024, but it is the game that best represents this year for the video game industry. An experimental live service game from Arrowhead Game Studios and Sony, this co-op shooter proudly burst on the scene in February and was inescapable for months. Helldivers 2 is one of the highest-selling games of 2024, and according to SteamDB, it consistently hits concurrent player count peaks of well over 20,000 daily on PC alone.
Its success is a prime example of why the video game industry is embracing live service video games and how creativity and novelty still play significant roles in the success of a game. That said, this year has also been a rocky one for the industry. Woes that both Helldivers 2 and Sony Interactive Entertainment have faced demonstrate the vitriol all games have to deal with and how companies won’t find smooth sailing just because their live service games aren’t immediate golden geese.
For that reason, Helldivers 2Â will be the game I most closely associate with 2024 going forward, even if I enjoy titles like Astro Bot and Balatro more.
The good of Helldivers 2 in 2024
The industry’s obsession with live service video games did not stop in 2024. Games like Fortnite have continued to thrive, and the success of Helldivers 2 demonstrates that there’s still space for new live service video games to break in and become massive hits. When you can share the joy of playing games with others, more and more people will likely be drawn into giving the game a shot. Getting players to buy in to a new live service game is the hardest step, and all the viral Helldivers 2 clips and videos on X and TikTok did the convincing for millions.
Once players check the game out for the first time, Helldivers 2 quickly gets its hooks in them. It not only does it through its battle pass-like Warbonds but via in-game meta progression that made the game’s whole community of players feel like they were working together to accomplish shared goals. Helldivers 2 elicited a level of role-playing and investment that’s rare to find nowadays, and that’s part of why it has stayed endearing all year long.
I’m thankful that Helldivers 2 shows that games can still be successful by being innovative. The meta-progression I mentioned and Helldivers 2’s penchant for chaos — thanks to its tough difficulty, friendly fire, and more — led to lots of memorable emergent moments. This game delivered something that could not be found elsewhere, and that should not be discounted when discussing why it resonated with so many people this year.
I think many of 2024’s best games embraced originality. Astro Bot wasn’t afraid to experiment with different gameplay gimmicks in each new level, Balatro is a genius combination of poker and roguelikes, and UFO 50 is the kind of retro tribute art piece you don’t get from developers who aren’t willing to take risks. Somehow, Helldivers 2 is a prime example of how live service games and experimental titles defined gaming in 2024.
The bad of Helldivers 2 in 2024
While Helldivers 2 does spotlight a lot of the positives in gaming, it was also a centerpiece of some controversies. The shooter got caught up in a gaming culture war thanks to some players not fully comprehending the satirical nature of its fascist universe. At other times, hate was drawn to the game because of its developer and publisher’s decisions. Throughout the year, Arrowhead has constantly had to respond to player ire toward weapon balance and other changes in updates, but one controversy takes the cake.
In May, Sony tried to force Helldivers 2 players on PC to link a PlayStation Network account, a move that would block access in some countries and anger players who got Helldivers 2 on Steam because they didn’t want to deal with Sony’s account systems and DRM. This led to a review-bombing campaign and a hit to Helldivers 2’s squeaky-clean reputation that it never quite recovered from. It’s a reminder that live service games aren’t infallible and that maintaining positive discourse around a live service hit is a fickle effort.
We’re seeing the industry put its resources into live service games more and more. And 2024 showed just how risky that move is with flops like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and XDefiant. While Helldivers 2 is a success story in that space this year, its post-launch problems also highlight how live service games are a monster for any developer or publisher to manage once they’re out in the wild and embraced by players.
Arrowhead and Sony have been able to handle the controversy, but studios like Concord’s Firewalk and XDefiant’s Ubisoft San Francisco weren’t so lucky. I’m worried about an industry that mainly focuses on tentpole AAA live service games, with everyone thinking they will make the next Helldviers 2 when some are actually working on the next Concord.
Like it or not, Helldivers 2 is emblematic of where the video game industry is in 2024. While there are plenty of positives to glean from that, there are some warning signs that I hope the industry quickly sees and respects.
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