At one point during development, Helldivers 2 was set to be a free-to-play title — a version of the game that would have been drastically different from the one that launched in 2024. That major shift in direction is now being cited as a key reason behind some of the ongoing performance issues plaguing the game.
When Helldivers 2 debuted early last year on PS5 and PC, it quickly became a breakout success for both developer Arrowhead and PlayStation. The co-op sci-fi shooter has remained popular thanks to regular updates that introduced new weapons, enemies, locations, and gameplay features. But in recent months, players have voiced frustration over growing technical issues and inconsistent performance.
Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani has been openly engaging with fans on the official Helldivers 2 Discord, directly acknowledging the problems and offering insight into why they exist. In a September 25 conversation, Jorjani revealed that the game underwent several dramatic pivots during development — including one that would have turned it into a free-to-play title.
“[Helldivers 2] started as a AA game,” Jorjani explained. “Then it grew in scope, pivoted to a PS5 launch title, then to F2P, then back to premium. I might have the order mixed up, but the goalposts were moved a few times. So the foundations of this big tower were made for a little bungalow on the beach.”
This is the first time anyone at Arrowhead has publicly confirmed that Helldivers 2 was seriously considered as a free-to-play game. According to Jorjani, that version would have required a completely different content pipeline and design philosophy.
“I wasn’t with Arrowhead back then, so I don’t know all the details,” he said. “But the model was always to give away a lot of cool stuff for free and monetize other things. It would have been a totally different angle — and a totally different pipeline.”
These major changes during development led to what Jorjani describes as significant “tech debt” — leftover issues from old systems and incomplete transitions that now affect game performance.
“Tech debt is like a garage full of stuff you’ve just thrown in,” he said. “We really need to put up shelves in the back to get organized.”
He’s mentioned this before. Earlier in the month, Jorjani admitted Helldivers 2 wasn’t in an ideal state and that the team needed to “get their shit in order” to properly fix things.
Despite the rocky technical state, Arrowhead appears committed to improving the experience. But the road ahead likely involves sorting through the messy legacy of a game that changed shape many times before players ever got their hands on it.