Everything you need to know about why the new PC and PlayStation hit isn’t on Microsoft’s console
Helldivers 2 is the new hot game that has been blowing up on both PlayStation and the PC platform. What about Xbox, though? Why is the game not available on Microsoft’s games console?
Since launching on 8th February 2024, Helldivers has earned itself the title of being the biggest Steam launch to date, surpassing God of War as the previous record holder. That’s quite the accolade considering the popularity of Kratos.
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Furthermore, Helldivers 2 has gone on to shift one million copies in its opening weekend, meaning there have been lots of questions surrounding whether it could come to other platforms. So what’s the deal?
Well, like any video game release it totally depends on who made the game, who acted as its publisher and any other partnerships agreed before it hit store shelves. It’s a business after all, so Helldivers becoming an exclusive for the PS5 is not that surprising once you know the details.
Why isn’t Helldivers 2 on Xbox?
The decision to not bring Helldivers 2 to Xbox is solely down to Sony. Helldivers 2 isn’t available on the platform as the IP is owned by Sony who decided to publish the game exclusively on both PlayStation 5 and PC. If the company wants to bring the game to another platform it has the right, it’s just highly doubtful.
Will Helldivers 2 ever come to Xbox?
Since Helldivers 2 is published and licensed by Sony Interactive Entertainment there’s an extremely low probability of the game ever coming to the Xbox platform. Sony has owned the IP for Helldivers since before the first game was released back in 2015.
While developer Arrowhead Game Studios is not owned by Sony, it’s unlikely that Sony will decide to publish any of its exclusive games on a competitor platform like Xbox. Even if Xbox is potentially poised to do the opposite with the PlayStation.
What games like Helldivers 2 can you play on Xbox?
Helldivers 2 is all but guaranteed not to arrive on the Xbox platform – however, there are plenty of other options that are similar to the third-person shooter.
Gears 5
The easiest alternative to suggest is the Gears of War series. The most recent release, Gears 5, hit Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC in 2019 and follows the story of Kait Diaz who sets out to discover the origins of the Locust Horde. The third-person shooter takes about a dozen hours to beat and also features three-player local split-screen multiplayer as well as online co-op.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite
Based on the second Alien film, the game actually picks up 23 years later as players control a Colonial Marine on board the UAS Endeavor, a spaceship that responds to emergency signals in the outer colonies. It’s a cooperative third-person survival shooter that puts you up against the dreaded Xenomorph
Deep Rock Galactic
Danish studio Ghost Ship Games made a cooperative first-person shooter in 2020 called Deep Rock Galactic that offers a similar gameplay loop to that of Helldivers. Teaming up with three other dwarves, players head out into the caves of Hoxxes IV to extract resources while encountering alien swarms. Every level is procedurally generated and is available on Xbox Game Pass.
Helldivers 2 is available across PlayStation 5 and PC.
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