Last week was a pretty big deal for fans of co-op action shooters, as Helldivers 2 made what looks to be a pretty triumphant launch on PC and PlayStation 5, if Steam user reviews, critical scores, and fan impressions are any suggestion. A large part of that praise has been heaped upon the game’s monetization, which is being celebrated for its lack of typical live service title awfulness.
That thoughtfully applied approach to microtransactions looks to be the North Star for Arrowhead Studios CEO and Helldivers 2 creative director Johan Pilestedt, who subtweeted someone’s response to a video that suggested the game was pay-to-win. “The only item that’s p2w is the revolver – which will win you any ‘cool gun’ competition. Only (minor) problem is that it’s not that good,” he confirmed.
In a follow-up response to a fan, Pilestedt clearly lays out his team’s mindset. “‘You have to earn the right to monetize’ – I truly believe that,” Pilestedt’s response reads. “If people want to support this title they have an option, but we are never forcing anyone to do so.”
The shooter’s monetization scheme was further explained in a January dev blog, which focused on its Warbonds battle pass system and how each successive pass staying online for purchase instead of phasing out after a set number of weeks. Additionally, the premium currency to purchase a pass can be completely earned in-game, while getting a Warbond’s goodies is done by spending earned in-game medals.
“At Arrowhead, we’re gamers too, and we want these Warbonds to feel modern, fun, and in line with the Arrowhead style,” said deputy game director Sagar Beroshi in the post. “This is important to us: the Warbonds are NOT a pay-to-win, FOMO-driven system.”
