Arrowhead founder casually mentions that a Helldivers 2 'roguelite mode' is in the prototype phase: 'It changes the game fundamentally!'

(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)

Helldivers 2 is a deep, engrossing co-op shooter with no shortage of things to do, but I wouldn't say no to additional modes that shake up its mission-based structure. According to Arrowhead founder Johan Pilestedt, such a mode is actively in the works for Helldivers 2.

"Hey! We have a prototype of a rogue-lite mode—it changes the game fundamentally!' Pilestedt casually wrote in response to an X user pitching his idea for an endless mode (as spotted by GamesRadar), as if he didn't just spill the beans on what would be the biggest shakeup to Helldivers 2 since launch.

Well that's exciting. While most of us haven't taken to social media to tell Arrowhead about it, I imagine lots of fans have also wondered what an endless mode in Helldivers 2 would look like. I reckon anything resembling Gears of Wars' old Horde modes or Halo Firefight would fit nicely, though based on Pilestedt's comparison to roguelites, we can assume this prototype includes modifiers or power-ups.

What if in the roguelite mode, you had to buy stratagems instead of equipping a set of five? What if you could call down entire defensive structures from your mothership? More than the roguelite mode itself, it's nice to hear that Arrowhead is thinking outside the box about future Helldivers 2 updates. The base game is tremendous, but the bones of Helldivers are good enough to support explorations into other co-op genres.

johan pilestedt tweet — (Image credit: Johan Pilestedt on X)

Just don't hold your breath about seeing the fruits of those explorations anytime soon. We know from past leaks that Arrowhead likes to test lots of ideas and shelve ones for later (where is that armored APC, Johan??), so this roguelite thing could be years away.

Morgan has been writing for PC Gamer since 2018, first as a freelancer and currently as a staff writer. He has also appeared on Polygon, Kotaku, Fanbyte, and PCGamesN. Before freelancing, he spent most of high school and all of college writing at small gaming sites that didn't pay him. He's very happy to have a real job now. Morgan is a beat writer following the latest and greatest shooters and the communities that play them. He also writes general news, reviews, features, the occasional guide, and bad jokes in Slack. Twist his arm, and he'll even write about a boring strategy game. Please don't, though.

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