How Arrowhead Revitalized Helldivers 2’s Success

Arrowhead’s CEO, Shams Jorjani, recently opened up about how the developer adapted to the overwhelming success of Helldivers 2 and its rapidly expanding fanbase.

In an insightful conversation with The Games Business, Jorjani highlighted a core belief at Arrowhead: trying to appeal to everyone often means you’re not truly reaching anyone. When they developed Helldivers 2, they had a clear and specific audience in mind. But when the game became a massive hit, drawing in millions after launch, the company had to rethink its development approach.

“We never intended Helldivers to cater to a broad audience,” Jorjani revealed. “Yet, by crafting a game that resonates deeply with a particular niche, it has the potential to reach far beyond that initial group. We’ve seen this time and again, both within the gaming industry and beyond. For example, From Software dared to be brutally difficult when most games were more about guiding the player gently. Nowadays, that boldness has inspired an entire genre.”

He continued, “We didn’t design Helldivers for the six million Call of Duty fans, certainly not. But surprisingly, six million Call of Duty fans ended up purchasing our game. Their interests contrast with those of players from titles like Escape From Tarkov or Arma, which heavily influenced us.”

“The period we jokingly call ‘the summer of pain’ was tough,” he confessed, “mainly because we struggled to balance staying true to our studio’s core values while navigating the expectations and demands of our newly diverse player base.”