Helldivers 2 leads say the game is fun because, yes, "you get to play as the bad guys" and "shout 'freedom!' while killing bugs"

Helldivers 2 screenshot of two soldiers clasping hands in victory

(Image credit: Arrowhead)

It's no secret that third-person online shooter Helldivers 2 is a moreish experience, and according to Arrowhead Studios, that compulsion essentially boils down to the unique opportunity of becoming an intergalactic pest control agent.

GamesRadar+ sat down with game director Michael Eriksson and production director Alex Bolle to discuss the "rollercoaster of a year" for the studio, with a specific question in mind: "Why do you think this narrative - the forever war - keeps pulling people in?" True enough, Helldivers 2 has never been far from our collective minds since it launched in February earlier this year.

"I think the fantasy is so incredibly strong," Eriksson offers of the game's lasting appeal, especially in a scene as competitive as online multiplayer games. "One of the Sony producers was looking at the opening cinematic, and he said, 'Oh, I get it'. If you look at the cinematic, you can immediately roleplay in this universe. You don't need much – the onboarding to be able to roleplay in this universe is so short, so you just get it." It seems that Helldivers 2's charm, therefore, is in its inherent accessibility. "I think it's a simple fantasy, and because it's a simple fantasy, it's also super, super strong. You get to play as the bad guys, pretty much, and shout 'freedom!' while killing bugs," laughs Eriksson. "I think that a lot of it is the obvious satire that brings people in."

Roleplaying as a villainous, gun-toting bug-squasher is one of the more unique opportunities afforded to us by Helldivers 2, and specific (yet "simple") though it might be, it's clearly made its mark – though up-and-coming hero shooter Marvel Rivals is making a clear case for contest.

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Jasmine is a staff writer at GamesRadar+. Raised in Hong Kong and having graduated with an English Literature degree from Queen Mary, University of London in 2017, her passion for entertainment writing has taken her from reviewing underground concerts to blogging about the intersection between horror movies and browser games. Having made the career jump from TV broadcast operations to video games journalism during the pandemic, she cut her teeth as a freelance writer with TheGamer, Gamezo, and Tech Radar Gaming before accepting a full-time role here at GamesRadar. Whether Jasmine is researching the latest in gaming litigation for a news piece, writing how-to guides for The Sims 4, or extolling the necessity of a Resident Evil: CODE Veronica remake, you'll probably find her listening to metalcore at the same time.