Helldivers 2 director's "childhood dream" is for the co-op shooter to join the pantheon of PlayStation's biggest IP: "It's crazy that it might be in the future"

For most people, Helldivers 2 doesn't immediately come to mind when you think of PlayStation, but Arrowhead CEO and the game's director, Johan Pilestedt, hopes to change that.

Helldivers 2, of course, is a PlayStation console exclusive and will likely stay that way for the foreseeable future, but its developer, Arrowhead Studios, remains independent. Even so, Pilestedt hopes one day for Helldivers to be considered in the same pantheon of PlayStation brand icons as Uncharted, God of War, and Horizon. 

It all started with a very silly tweet proclaiming "the ONLY two REAL gaming brands" to be PlayStation and Nintendo, posted with a split image showing various PlayStation and Nintendo characters side by side. Pilestedt rather amusingly responded asking why the heck Helldivers 2's champions of democracy weren't included in the group of PlayStation heroes, and a fan respectfully and rightfully pointed out: "As much as I love Helldivers, it isn't yet a game to immediately think, 'oh helldivers, f**k yeah PlayStation'. Not yet, but dammit it is getting there."

Pilestedt said he agrees with the fan's assessment, but added, "It's crazy that it might be in the future.... Like... It's a childhood dream come true."

Pilestedt isn't just a massive fan of PlayStation IP, as he also revealed recently that Nintendo is "the reason why I became a game dev," meaning without the house of Mario and Zelda, there probably would be no Helldivers 2 at all. And in yet another piece of newly minted crossover history, Alan Wake himself sent a personalized letter to Arrowhead CEO in praise of Helldivers 2. 

Now back to business, defenders of democracy: Helldivers 2 Malevelon Creek is a liberation target for a new Major Order to take out an Automaton factory in Game Master Joel's latest plot.