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It’s the holiday season. The New Year is fast approaching, and that usually means making plans and wishes for the future. This year, many players wished they could play the game with a bigger group of their friends. The Helldivers 2 CCO explained if you should expect an 8-player co-op, as well as why it wasn’t in the works at the moment.
Helldivers 2 CCO Talks About Future Possibilities
Players know the Helldivers 2 CCO, Johan Pilestedt, for his true commitment to the player base. Back in May 2024, he stepped down from being the CEO in order to contribute more creatively. He truly delivered on that promise and we can’t wait to see what his team cooks up for the future. Maybe an eight-player co-op?
Pilestedt often interacts with players on social media. This time, he answered a question about the possible expansion of the current number of players in a team. He noted: “I’ve answered this a couple of times, but no. The engine, network archotecture, UI, performance and difficulty can’t cope. We need to do significant investment for 8p coop to work”.
However, there are hopes for the future. Pilestedt revealed that an eight-player co-op wasn’t impossible. He noted that this concept was something they often talked about in Arrowhead. The CCO added: “Future will tell what happens”.
One player jokingly predicted that Helldivers 3 would drop in 2032, with eight-player co-ops and swimming. As you may know, Helldivers are known for drowning, even in shallow water, one player recently explained why.
In an unexpected twist, Pilestedt sort of confirmed the player’s prediction. He stated: “We are growing Helldivers 2 into Helldivers 3…. so you may be correct. Except maybe swimming – I don’t think its possible to swim in a heavy plate carrier with rifle and support weapons. Also, all our games have had the thing about the protagonist not being able to swim”.
Helldivers Would Love Playing in an Eight-Player Co-op
As you may have expected, Helldivers 2 players had a lot to say on the topic of a possible eight-player co-op. The majority of players are quite excited by this idea, similar to the idea of fighting two factions simultaneously. However, they are aware that some serious modifications would have to be done for any of these ideas to work.
One player suggested: “Probably a change in the engine. They’re limited with their current engine which I had a feeling. If they switch to UE5 for example, they’ll be able to do a lot more”. Now, we aren’t sure if that’s the right choice for the next engine, but we are sure Arrowhead will have to make a change.
As for what they expect for the future, well, players were very excited to share their ideas. One player raved: “If you’re able to get 8-player Co-op working, I think playing as SEAF soldiers would be a great way to balance 8 players. Having 8 Helldivers would be to OP. But having it where we are the rank and file soldiers would be a great compromise”.
Truth be told, we think expanding the team would be a wonderful next step for Helldivers 2. As for now, well, the Major Order is nearing the end, and Christmas is almost here. So, join us, and let’s pretend like the black hole isn’t going to bring even more of the Illuminate. For Liberty and Super Earth.