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Johan Pilestedt, the CCO at Arrowhead, is stepping away from Helldivers 2. After years of working on this amazing game, the former CEO decided it was time to take a break. Additionally, he will not be returning to Helldivers 2, but starting a new project.
Pilestedt Announced He Was Taking a Sabbatical
In the early hours of January 28, Pilestedt announced his decision on social media. He took to X and offered some details to loving fans.
He noted: “Hey everyone! I am gonna do a sabbatical for a while! I know a lot of you are going to think “por qué?” – well, while you have enjoyed helldivers2 for almost a year, I have been living it since early 2016, and with HelldiversGame – its since 2013. 11 years of working “around the clock” on the same IP has made me set aside family, friends and my lovely wife… and myself. I am going to take some time now to redeem what was lost from all of those that supported me for over a decade. I am sure my friends at ArrowheadGS will do their utmost in the meantime to deliver amazing stuff to helldivers2. When I’m back – I will start working on the next Arrowhead game. Johan, signing off. The last survivor of SES song of the stars”.
Obviously, many Helldivers had concerns about what this meant for Helldivers 2, as Pilestedt is known for his dedication to the player base. Many players credit him for everything good that came to Helldivers 2.
So, should you be worried? Well, no. Pilestedt will still be working for Arrowhead after returning from his much-deserved break, and he will help if needed. He stated: “Thanks, but I am a phone call away from the team. And I will always pick up”.
Also, he will be there for the game’s first anniversary, of course. However, he reminded the fans that the game was a team effort, not a solo project. He said: But the 1year mark belongs to the team. I will be @ the studios 4 the team”.
Helldivers 2 Players Wish All the Best to the CCO
Now, sure, there’s been a lot of commotion in the Helldivers 2 community since Pilestedt made his announcement. However, the majority of players realize that the CCO has been working tirelessly on this project for more than a decade. Thus, he wouldn’t just leave it in incapable hands.
LyricalLafayette noted: “He’s spent 8 years on this game, and the overall creative vision is spectacular, achieved, and recognized by players. I hope he gets to enjoy the sabbatical and the pre-dev process for their next game. If it’s anything like this one, it’ll be an easy buy (a decade from now!). I trust the team to keep delivering story beats and warbonds. I’m sure they have a year or two of ideas prototyped to work off of”.
SideOfBeef added: “Pilestedt’s role was mostly in setting the game’s creative direction, and it’s been pretty stable for a while now. I’d expect the team that directly builds the game will be able to keep the current direction without much trouble. They might not need to directly replace him at all”.
Thousands of players wished Pilestedt all the best. We have to say we’ll miss him working on Helldivers 2, but we can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. We hope he’ll enjoy his sabbatical, spend some quality time with his family and friends, and of course, paint some Warhammer minis.
As for you, dear Helldiver, chin up. It is the end of an era, but a new era is coming. The Major Order is still in progress, and although we have it covered, stay vigilant. Those Squids are up to something, and we have to be prepared. For Liberty and Super Earth. For Pilestedt.