Arrowhead CCO Pilestedt Announces Progress Toward Helldivers 3, Seeks Design Ideas for Coveted Miniguns

As we dive into 2025, Arrowhead, the studio behind the highly successful Helldivers 2, seems determined to keep pressing forward. Johan Pilestedt, the Chief Creative Officer and a familiar face at Arrowhead, hinted at an exciting future for the game. He suggested that Helldivers 2 could potentially evolve into its sequel through a series of updates.

Throughout the holiday season, players have been deeply engaged in combat against The Illuminate. Arrowhead addressed the initial backlash over pricing for their Killzone crossover gear, and Pilestedt has been engaging with fans on social media about what’s next for the game.

In a festive Twitter exchange, a fan asked if Helldivers 2 might support eight-player co-op in the future. Pilestedt’s response was a candid “not yet,” citing limitations in the game’s engine, network architecture, UI, performance, and difficulty balance. However, he acknowledged that such an update would require “significant investment” but wasn’t ruling it out, noting it’s a topic of frequent discussion within the studio.

The most intriguing part of Pilestedt’s response came as he joked about Helldivers 3’s release in 2032, featuring the much-desired eight-player setup and swimming mechanics. In his tweet, Pilestedt remarked, “We are growing Helldivers 2 into Helldivers 3…. so you may be correct. Except maybe swimming – I don’t think it’s possible to swim in a heavy plate carrier with a rifle and support weapons.”

This comment sparked lively discussions on the Helldivers subreddit. Many fans are supportive, excited by the idea of continuous updates instead of a traditional sequel so soon after the game’s release. Yet, not everyone is on board—user pokiane expressed concerns about the limitations of the game’s current engine, fearing it might prevent significant additions like more players, larger maps, and diverse enemy types.

While fans debate, Pilestedt shifted focus to another potential addition to Helldivers 2—full-size miniguns. Responding to a Reddit post featuring a video of someone firing a Nerf minigun, he explained the complexities of implementing them, noting the infamous recoil and need for a specialized firing stance. He mentioned technical hurdles, such as the need for a backpack magazine and additional weapon slots, but assured players that once these were addressed, the 5.5mm minigun would be good to go.

Concluding his thoughts, Pilestedt asked the community for creative input on how to integrate a minigun into Helldivers, considering ideas like stamina-based recoil management. So, if you have any innovative suggestions, now’s the time to share them—he’s all ears!