Helldivers 2 just showed the highs and lows of live service in one chaotic weekend

Helldivers 2 was on top of the world. Released in February to surprise acclaim, PlayStation and Arrowhead’s co-op shooter quickly became the kind of success story that any gaming company would want to emulate. In a world of live service risks, this one was paying off thanks to a dedicated community whose commitment to democracy showed no signs of slowing down.

Then it all came crashing down in an instant.

On May 3, developer Arrowhead revealed that it was implementing a change that would force Steam players to link a PlayStation account in order to keep playing. It seemed like a small enough ask on paper, but the move came with unintended consequences that left players furious. After a hectic weekend filled with review bombing, refunds, and harassment aimed at its developers, PlayStation stepped in to reverse its decision and, hopefully, save its golden goose.

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That chaotic sequence of events should serve as a teaching moment for any publisher eyeing live service games. Even the rare successes aren’t foolproof cash cows; the high reward comes with even higher risks.

Betting on live service

On paper,Helldivers 2 had done everything right since its release. For starters, it was anchored by strong third-person shooting and thoughtfully implemented co-op play. That core gave PlayStation and Arrowhead a lot of flexibility that other games like it don’t always have. It allowed them to charge $40 for it rather than pushing it as a free-to-play game and still thread in paid microtransactions. Even a buggy launch filled with server issues couldn’t hold it back. These are things that have torpedoed plenty of games in the past, but Helldivers 2 was unusually strong.

Great gameplay is part of the equation, but there are a few other factors to consider. For one, it’s a