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[UPDATE] Arrowhead has announced that, after listening to fan feedback, it decided to “revisit” the situation and make some changes for the Killzone 2 DLC for Helldivers 2.
“Firstly, we are gifting to everyone the planned second wave of the Helldivers x Killzone collaboration items today, free of charge. The distribution of those items will begin shortly, in two waves,” the studio said. “As such, we’re also going to extend the duration of the items currently in the Superstore from 5 days to 10 days so that you have a chance to get hold of it and reduce the risk of missing out.”
Arrowhead said it is also looking into how it can bring the Killzone items back for good in the future.
The original story follows below.
The newly launched Killzone DLC for Sony’s Helldivers II has not gone over entirely smoothly, as some people have made their feelings known about the pricing. Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani recently responded to fan questions, and among his responses was confirmation that Arrowhead–not Sony–bears responsibility for the pricing decision. Additionally, Arrowhead said it’s giving some DLC away for free for the holiday season amid the backlash around the Killzone DLC.
“It’s a partnership [with Sony],” he said on the Helldivers Discord, as reported by IGN. “But we are in the driving seat behind the decisions. This one is on us.”
Jorjani also pointed out how the Killzone DLC is the first crossover content in Helldivers 2, and the studio will be “figuring it out as we go along.” The executive went on to mention how the DLC is optional, but the more paid content the company sells, the more free content the studio will be able to release.
Another Arrowhead boss, John Pilestedt, responded to concerns around the pricing on social media. He explained how the decision was made in an effort to avoid negative sentiment, even though that is what ended up occurring for a portion of the audience. He also discussed the reality of the business and how Arrowhead has to bring in revenue to create a sustainable ecosystem around Helldivers 2.
Sorry you felt the price was steep, we are looking at all feedback. The reason we changed it from a warbond was actually because there were concerns that having a higher priced warbond would carry negative sentiment.
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) December 19, 2024
Thanks! I mean, we are all in it together. It is an ecosystem that needs to be sustainable.
If we do stuff you like, we are able to sustain the business and make more stuff that you hopefully like… and then that continues until it doesn’t work, at which point the story ends.
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) December 19, 2024
The first wave of Killzone items in Helldivers 2 launched on December 18 and will be available until December 23. The content ranges in price from 90 credits up to 615 (about $7) for the new assault rifle. A second batch of Killzone crossover content arrives on December 23.
This Killzone crossover comes not long after the debut of the The Omens of Tyranny update that introduced the zombie-like Illuminate faction to the shooter, as well as new urban environments to wage skirmishes in. It’s capped off a big year for Arrowhead’s sequel, which was the fastest-selling PlayStation game ever, having sold over 12 million copies in its first three months on the market.
Helldivers 2 is the No. 3 best-selling game of 2024 in the US, only trailing Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and EA Sports College Football 25.
Kurt Indovina
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