Helldivers 2 is off to a strong start on Steam after the PC version launched alongside the PlayStation 5 game.
Arrowhead Game Studios’ cooperative action game is published by Sony Interactive Entertainment across PS5 and PC via Steam (on Steam the publisher is down as PlayStation PC LLC). Helldivers 2 is currently the 15th most-played game on Steam with 53,189 concurrent players, a number that will no doubt grow over the course of the day, week, and into its first weekend.
Helldivers 2 is also the second top-selling game by revenue on Steam, ahead of smash hits such as Palworld and Call of Duty. It’s worth noting Helldivers 2 is not a full-price game but cheaper at $39.99. It’s much harder to get an idea of its popularity on PS5, given Sony does not divulge player numbers on its platform.
Helldivers 2’s launch is somewhat unusual in that Sony much prefers to release its games on console ahead of PC, but it is not unprecedented for an externally-developed game it’s published. Sony published IllFonic’s Predator: Hunting Grounds, for example, across PS4 and PC on the same day in April 2020.
Whether Sony might be willing to relax its policy for its big first-party exclusives remains to be seen. The recently released Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is not available on PC and Sony has yet to announce a PC version. Shift Up’s eye-catching action game Stellar Blade is down for release on PS5 only, as is Team Ninja’s Rise of the Ronin. Concord, a brand new PvP multiplayer first-person shooter from Firewalk Studios, is however due to launch on PS5 and PC.
Sony’s policy is in stark contrast to that of Microsoft, which releases all its games on Xbox and Windows PC at the same time. Microsoft is expected to discuss the future of Xbox in a business update next week, following reports that indicate it is ready to launch some of its first-party games on PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.