When you informed me 10 years in the past that Sony would publish one in every of its personal video games on Xbox, I’d have laughed you out of the room. However right here we’re: Helldivers 2, a recreation I by no means thought I’d see operating on Xbox {hardware}, is now stay on Sequence X and Sequence S.
The launch befell on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, with a Commonplace Version for $39.99 and a Tremendous Citizen Version for $59.99. The rollout was world (1 a.m. PT / 4 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. BST) and whereas there was no preload (so sure, I sat looking at my obtain bar), it solely takes up about 35GB.
Cross-play means I can lastly squad up with my Xbox buddies whereas nonetheless enjoying on PS5 or PC. The one catch is not any cross-progression, so my hard-earned unlocks don’t comply with me throughout platforms. Nonetheless, the truth that I may even say “I’m diving with Xbox gamers tonight” feels wild.
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This isn’t only a port, it’s historical past. Helldivers 2 is printed by Sony Interactive Leisure itself, which makes this the primary time PlayStation has voluntarily put one in every of its personal first-party live-service video games on Xbox.
That’s what actually will get me. MLB The Present doesn’t depend; Sony was compelled to share that franchise by Main League Baseball. However right here? Sony made the selection. No outdoors stress, no licensing calls for, only a straight-up choice to let Xbox gamers in.
Shams Jorjani, Arrowhead’s CEO even known as it “one of many coolest issues Sony has ever completed” through a fan dialog on Discord, and I form of agree. As somebody who grew up on the “console warfare” mindset, it’s unusual however refreshing to see PlayStation and Xbox communities lastly sharing the identical battlefield.
Mashable Gentle Pace
In fact, Xbox didn’t simply get the sport, it obtained the fan service. The Helldivers 2 × Halo: ODST Legendary Warbond launched alongside the port, including ODST-style armor, the traditional MA5C Assault Rifle, and the Magnum for about $15. It’s each hilarious and becoming: a PlayStation-published recreation, launching on Xbox, with Halo gear as a bonus. I couldn’t have scripted a greater timeline glitch.
Efficiency-wise, the Xbox construct holds up. Sequence X affords 4K at ~30 FPS in High quality Mode or ~60 FPS at 1080p in Efficiency Mode. On Sequence S, Efficiency Mode sticks near a gentle 60 FPS at 1080p. In brief, it performs nice the place it issues most: if you’re knee-deep in bugs and frantically attempting to not blow up your personal squad.
A participant surge price noting
On launch day, Helldivers 2 pulled over 200,000 gamers throughout all platforms. Steam alone spiked at greater than 114,000 concurrent gamers, its highest since June. Neighborhood estimates push the full even larger, with some followers claiming 300,000–350,000 concurrent gamers throughout platforms (Steam Neighborhood).
I don’t suppose that’s simply coincidence. Certain, the Halo crossover helped, however earlier than the Xbox launch, participant counts hovered round 50,000–60,000. This was an enormous jolt of life for the sport. It didn’t prime the all-time peak of 458,709 concurrent gamers from February 2024, but it surely felt like a comeback tour.
Why this issues
I bear in mind when Helldivers 2 first launched on PS5 and PC in early 2024. It was the little co-op shooter that might — chaotic, hilarious, and surprisingly addictive. It went on to promote over 12 million copies in its first 12 weeks, which is bonkers for a niche-sounding title about “managed democracy.”
Now, seeing it land on Xbox feels totally different. It’s not nearly extra individuals enjoying recreation. It’s about watching Sony, the corporate that constructed its empire on exclusivity, break its personal unwritten rule. To me, it indicators a future the place the “console warfare” issues lower than maintaining communities alive throughout platforms.
So yeah, democracy actually is spreading. Helldivers 2 is out now on Xbox Sequence X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Commonplace Version is $39.99, Tremendous Citizen Version is $59.99, and the ODST Warbond is $15. When you’d informed 2015-me that PlayStation would deliver its personal recreation to Xbox in 2025, I’d have known as it inconceivable. Now? I simply name it progress.
The place to purchase ‘Helldivers 2’
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