#Helldivers 2 reveals how far its crossover content material will go

As quickly as crossover content material was introduced up within the context of Helldivers 2, gamers began becoming concerned over what it would entail. Judging by what Arrowhead Video games’ CCO Johan Pilestedt has simply shared, nevertheless, Helldivers 2 crossovers ought to be pretty innocuous within the grand scheme of issues.

Extra particularly, although Energy Rangers had been talked about as one of many potential Helldivers 2 crossover alternatives, that doesn’t appear to be on the docket. Not but, not less than. This has unsurprisingly been one of many scorching subjects on the Helldivers 2 subreddit, with one of many extra well-liked latest threads asking the place the “crossover line within the sand” should be drawn. The stunning bit took place when Pilestedt himself chimed in on the matter. In line with him, the road is drawn proper right here:

Pilestedt’s Helldivers 2 collaboration diagram is fairly telling

In different phrases, grunts from all method of different mental properties are all doable inclusions. Or, fairly, choices that Arrowhead could be blissful to incorporate in Helldivers 2 if the IPs’ respective house owners would comply with it. Highlighted choices embrace:

The buck stops at Halo‘s Grasp Chief, nevertheless, and we shouldn’t anticipate to see the Doom Slayer, Astartes, or Ninja Turtles in Helldivers 2 anytime quickly. Or Snoop Dogg, for that matter. Curiously, the Clone Troopers from Star Wars have additionally been excluded from the combination, although the Fact Enforcers Warbond form of pays homage to these armor designs.

Again on monitor, Pilestedt has additionally defined that there’s some nuance to how Arrowhead thinks of content material crossover. From the look of issues, crossovers are going to be a critical consideration for Helldivers 2 sooner or later, and we should always undoubtedly anticipate tons extra as time goes on. These will, presumably, construct upon the precedent set by the Killzone crossover. Thoughts that Arrowhead remains to be determining the right way to greatest deal with this sort of content material, nevertheless.

Arrowhead intends to keep away from IP dilution by creating genuine and plausible crossovers that also by some means match into the grander lore of Helldivers 2. That is notably vital, it appears, as crossover lore will “grow to be canon” in a roundabout way, form, or kind. Within the case of Killzone 2‘s Helghast grunts, for instance, this franchise’s Ståhl Arms has been canonized in Helldivers 2 as one of many energetic weapon and armor producers. It’s a neat sufficient system, I’ll give them that.

The doubtless problematic bit comes about when you think about Arrowhead’s authenticity tenet: the crew will “try to switch as little as doable from the unique inspiration.” This sounds admirable at face worth, however video video games’ design languages hardly ever match with each other all that nicely. This may result in clashing belongings, although that’s an issue for another day.

So, in case you too had been involved about Helldivers 2 turning into Fortnite in a couple of months, that’s completely unfounded. It’ll nonetheless take a while for Arrowhead to determine what’s what in relation to crossovers, after all. Heck, we’d go for a protracted whereas earlier than the following crossover drops into Helldivers 2. However, when it lastly does occur, there’s no purpose to anticipate Nicki Minaj on the aspect of Tremendous Earth.