Helldivers 2 Rumor Claims PlayStation in "Preliminary" Talks to Bring the Game to Xbox
Could Helldivers 2 actually come to Xbox Series X|S?
Helldivers 2 has been one of the most surprising success stories of 2024. The game has been performing quite well on PC and PlayStation 5, but fans on Xbox have been left in the cold. However, it seems that might change. XboxEra host Nick "Shpeshal Nick" Baker has heard rumors that there have been "preliminary" talks about bringing Helldivers 2 to Xbox Series X|S. While PlayStation boss Jim Ryan has never had a strong working relationship with Xbox, he officially stepped down from the company on April 1st, with Hiroki Totoki serving as interim CEO. On the most recent episode of the podcast, Baker suggests Totoki might be more open to bringing games to Xbox.
PlayStation Games on Other Platforms
As with any rumor, readers should take this with a grain of salt. During the XboxEra segment, Baker was very careful with his words, noting several times that these are just things he's heard, and that his sources suggest talks are "very early." Basically, no one is claiming that this is a guarantee, so fans should temper their expectations in case things don't pan out. Over the last few months, Xbox has shown an increased willingness to bring its games to other platforms; the last few weeks have seen Xbox first-party games like Pentiment, Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush released on PS5.
However, PlayStation has mostly avoided doing the same for competing platforms. While the company has increasingly started to bring its games to PC, MLB The Show is the only example of a Sony first-party game that has been released on Xbox and Nintendo Switch. PlayStation is contractually obligated to make The Show available on other platforms, so it's something of a unique case. If Helldivers 2 does end up coming to Xbox, it would be a pretty surprising circumstance.
Can PlayStation and Xbox Make This Happen?
If there are early talks happening between the two companies, it wouldn't be a surprise on the part of Microsoft; Xbox boss Phil Spencer told Game File in February that he's "not exactly sure who it helps in the industry by [Helldivers 2] not being on Xbox." There's a lot of debate to be had about the importance of exclusive games helping to sell consoles, but an Xbox release would help Helldivers 2 find an even bigger audience than it has already. That would also help the game's chances of maintaining a passionate following online; online games can only thrive if they keep drawing players in.
For now, fans will just have to see how this all plays out! If there's any game that would make sense for PlayStation to bring to a competing platform, it's Helldivers 2. For now though, anyone that does want to play it will have to do so on PS5 or Steam.
Do you think we'll see Helldivers 2 released on Xbox platforms? Do you think it would be a good thing for both companies? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
