Super Earth has heard the complaints of its Helldivers, and adjustments are coming to the latest armory refresh.
The Helldivers 2 x Killzone crossover event is getting some changes, developer Arrowhead Game Studios shared on Thursday. In response to player complaints about the pricing structure — the Killzone content is far more expensive than the usual Warbonds, and it can’t be purchased with in-game currency — the second half of the event’s items will now be made entirely free for all players as of today.
“As this was our first crossover offering, we’ve been listening to the response, and the feedback we’ve received from our community surveys is that crossover content is really high up on your wishlists,” the update reads. “At the same time, some of you are not happy with the prices of the items and we will revisit this.”
While the crossover content was initially available to purchase for a mere five days (which is quick, even by limited-time event standards for other service games) this period is being extended, and players now have 10 days to pick up what they’d like from Stahl Arms’ contributions to the Superstore. There’s no exact details right now, but Arrowhead’s update does note that the team is investigating ways to bring these items back to the store permanently.
Analysis: Gathering feedback for the future?
This crossover event, which pulls in Guerrilla Games’ dormant first-person shooter franchise, is the first of its kind, tying in another PlayStation IP with Arrowhead’s extraordinarily successful co-op shooter.
Crossover content is really cool when done in an engaging way, and I applaud Arrowhead for being open about learning from this experience. The game gets a ton of updates for free (such as the uber-cool recent addition of the Illuminate faction) so having crossover items and skins be paid makes sense, but there’s a balance to be struck.
I’m curious what we’ll see next for a crossover, as it needs to be something similar to the Helghast, where it feels like it fits the world and vibes of Helldivers. Personally, I’d love to see Resistance make an appearance, especially it’s abundantly clear we aren’t getting a new game. Maybe we could even face down some Chimera enemies?
Helldivers 2 is the third best-selling game of the year in the U.S. as of November, with the game also snagging awards for Best Ongoing title and Best Multiplayer at the Game Awards 2024. While the game saw some trouble after a snafu surrounding required PlayStation network sign-ins, the recent drop of new content has reinvigorated the playerbase as they work to fight off the Illuminate.
When I first reviewed Helldivers 2 at launch, I wrote that “I’ve had a blast playing innumerable co-op and multiplayer titles in the last decade, but it’s been a long time since a co-op experience has gripped me this way, to the point that I’m eagerly looking forward to hopping on whenever possible. It feels like I discover some small new detail every time I play, which is no small feat for a game based around a mission structure that’s extremely simple on paper.”
Helldivers 2 is currently available on PlayStation 5 and Windows PC.
