Arrowhead's next game "won't be something that's too far off from" Helldivers 2, creative lead says: "We're looking to continue the legacy of what we've created"

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Johan Pilestedt wants fans to "recognize the DNA" of what came before in the studio's next game

Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him
(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)

Arrowhead Game Studios has already begun work on its next game, but how does a developer follow a galactic success as beloved as Helldivers 2? Former CEO and current CCO Johan Pilestedt says whatever the team does next will "continue the legacy" of the co-op sensation.

Speaking to GamesRadar+ at The Golden Joystick Awards 2025, where Helldivers 2 was up for the 'Still Playing' trophy, Pilestedt said the developer is currently in his favorite phase of production: the beginning. "It's the part that I love the most," he explains. "When you get a new team together, break down all the boundaries between each other, really get to the heart of who we are as people, and what games do we want to make together."

You can interpret that in however you wish. Maybe it means Arrowhead is ploughing ahead with another co-op concept. Maybe it just means the company wants to hit the same high bar a second time. Just don't take that "DNA" quote too literally – CEO Shams Jorjani recently said Helldivers 3 is "hopefully many years away" as the team want to keep expanding its current shooter for as long as people are playing.

Kaan Serin
Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.

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