"There are more Helldivers than Swedes" says Helldivers 2 lead as his game becomes Sony's fastest-selling title ever

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Democracy reigns with 12 million Helldivers 2 copies sold across 12 weeks

Helldivers 2
(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)

It's only been out three months, but Sony has revealed that everyone's favorite extraction shooter has become the fastest-selling PlayStation game ever.

Having launched on PS5 and PC on February 8, 2024, Helldivers 2 moved a whopping 12 million units during its first 12 weeks, according to Sony's FY23 earnings call. This like-for-like ratio was enough to beat the likes of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and God of War: Ragnarok in fresh-out-the-gate sales – no small feat for Swedish developer Arrowhead Studios. The honor shifts to Arrowhead from Sony Santa Monica, when in 2022, the God of War: Ragnarok developer reported 5.1 million copies sold during its first week and 11 million copies total sold across its inaugural 12 weeks. Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 stole the show last year with a whopping 2.5 million units sold on day-one, but when it comes to the 12-week numbers game, Helldivers 2 is the clear top seller.

Arrowhead lead Johan Pilestedt took to Twitter to put the news in frankly baffling terms of size and scale. "It's crazy to think that there are more Helldivers than there are Swedes," he jokes in amazement before thanking the creative team and passionate community for playing a role in the game's success.

It's an impressive feat for sure, but given the popularity of Helldivers 2, I almost expected it. The game launched on PS5 and PC earlier this year on February 8, uniting players in bringing democracy to hostile planets in a stylish Starshoop Troopers-esque PvE frenzy that totally reinvented its 2015 predecessor. It's early days for Helldivers 2, and if the numbers are any reflection, Arrowhead is only going from strength to strength.

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Jasmine Gould-Wilson
Jasmine Gould-Wilson
Senior Staff Writer, GamesRadar+

Jasmine is a Senior Staff Writer at GamesRadar+. Raised in Hong Kong and having graduated with an English Literature degree from Queen Mary, University of London, she began her journalism career as a freelancer with TheGamer and TechRadar Gaming before joining GR+ full-time in 2023. She now focuses predominantly on features content for GamesRadar+, attending game previews, and key international conferences such as Gamescom and Digital Dragons in between regular interviews, opinion pieces, and the occasional stint with the news or guides teams. In her spare time, you'll likely find Jasmine challenging her friends to a Resident Evil 2 speedrun, purchasing another book she's unlikely to read, or complaining about the weather.