One of 2015's best shooters is getting a sequel on PS5 and PC, and it only took 8 years

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Helldivers 2 brings an old twin-stick shooter into shiny third-person

Helldivers 2
(Image credit: Arrowhead)
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Helldivers, the well-received twin-stick shooter we haven't seen since 2015, is getting a third-person sequel on PS5 and PC.

Helldivers 2 was one of the earliest games shown at today's live PlayStation Showcase, and it looks much more ambitious than even the Dive Harder Edition of the original, which has racked up some impressive reviews on Steam alone. 

With something of an Earth Defense Force vibe, Helldivers 2 asks players to explore the galaxy and introduce hostile bug-like creatures to the "sophisticated technology" of Super Earth. We're fully in over-the-shoulder territory now, but it looks like co-op is back. 

"True to both our studio and to the Helldivers legacy, this will be a heart-pounding, high-intensity, friendly-fire-enabled feast of cooperative destruction," developer Arrowhead says in a new blog post. "Players will again assume the role of galactic peacekeepers and soldiers on behalf of Super Earth, but with some serious upgrades." 

Apparently that release gap wasn't a bunch of waiting around; Arrowhead says this thing's had an "eight-year development cycle," with former narrative and VO producer Alex Bolle leading the project. 

"[Our CEO Johan Pilestedt] always talks about the ‘tingle in the butt’ that you should feel while playing: being on the edge of failing an operation, but bursting into laughter because a Warrior sent your friend flying away in a silly ragdoll move," Bolle says. "That’s the feel we want to get.”

Helldivers 2 is coming to PS5 and PC in 2023. 

Here are all the games shown and announced at the PlayStation Showcase 2023. 

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.