Helldivers 2 Is “Definitely Not” Coming to Xbox Game Pass

Third-person shooter Helldivers 2 impressed fans when it burst onto the scene in early 2024. Despite being over a year old, the game maintains an impressive fan base, regularly topping 55,000 concurrent players on Steam alone. The game, which was published by PlayStation Publishing, was a PS5 console exclusive at release. However, Microsoft recently revealed that Helldivers 2 is headed to Xbox Series X|S later this year. Naturally, this sparked rumors that the game would be added to the Xbox Game Pass Subscription.

Helldivers 2 achieved an 82 Metacritic score at launch and even snagged The Game Award for Best Multiplayer Game in its release year. Since then, Arrowhead Game Studios has released several updates adding new content to the game. For many, it has joined the ranks of the most popular multiplayer shooters out there. But until recently, it’s been unclear when Xbox gamers would be able to join in the fun.

On July 3rd, Xbox Wire revealed that Helldivers 2 would finally arrive on Xbox consoles on August 26th. That means Xbox gamers will finally be able to deploy their troops to defend Super Earth. The game will cost $39.99 on Xbox, with the Super Citizen Edition available for $59.99. With pre-orders up, fans were hopeful that the game might also come to Xbox Game Pass. Alas, the developer has pretty solidly squashed that rumor.

Amidst Debate about Xbox Game Pass Impact on Industry, Developer Shuts Down Rumors

The statement comes from an official Helldivers 2 Discord mod who goes by the username of Baskinator. After one user shared the statement “I’m pretty sure [Helldivers 2] was confirmed to be coming to GamePass,” Baskinator stepped with a crystal clear response. “Definitely not,” they said, following up with, “No plans to bring it to Game Pass.”

The comment doesn’t elaborate on why Helldivers 2 won’t be added to Xbox Game Pass, just notes that there aren’t any plans to add the game for now. Given that the game was published by PlayStation, platform competition could be a factor. After all, PlayStation has its own subscription service in the form of PS Plus. Helldivers 2 is not available for that service at the moment, either, so it could be a broader decision to keep the game as a single purchase rather than offering it through game subscriptions.

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There’s also the fact that developer opinions are divided on whether services like Game Pass help or hurt their games. In recent months, developers have come down on both sides of the argument. PocketPair’s communications director John Buckley has praised the service, saying “it is very worth having your game on Game Pass.” Meanwhile, Alex Hutchinson, director of Revenge of the Savage Planet, feels that launching the game as a Day One Game Pass title hurt sales.

Whatever the reason, it seems Helldivers 2 will not release on Xbox Game Pass, at least not any time soon. But it will arrive on the Xbox Series X|S in just a few weeks on August 26th. The game is currently available for PC via Steam and on PS5.