Helldivers 2 dev says they don't know if the shooter will ever go bigger than 4-player squads, but it "would require a lot of work"

Helldivers 2 progression system
(Image credit: Sony)

A Helldivers 2 developer has addressed questions surrounding theoretical bigger player squads, saying that it would "require a lot of work."

In the official Helldivers 2 Discord, one player recently asked developer Arrowhead if it would ever add bigger squads that support more than four players at once. A community manager responded, saying that, in short, they simply "don't know" about the possibility.

"I do know that if we ever go down that route, it would require a lot of work. If it's ever a thing (which I'm not at all sure it will be), it's in the distant future," the community manager continued, shedding a little more light on the situation and the development process at Arrowhead Game Studios.

A lot of Helldivers 2 revolves around four-player squads, and I'm not just talking about the obvious gameplay and weapon balancing. There are only four Hellpod spots in a Super Destroyer, for example, just like there are four spots on the victory podium at the end of a game, and four spots at the Galactic War table for players to interact with on a ship.

In short, a lot more of Helldivers 2 revolves around four-player squads than you might think. It boggles the mind thinking about how Arrowhead would have to rebalance player gear to accommodate four players at once, or how enemy swarms and health would have to be adjusted to stack up against five or six Helldivers at the same time.

This isn't the only player requested Arrowhead has addressed of late. Earlier this month, a Helldivers 2 developer revealed underground maps were "contemplated" during development, but would again require a lot of logistical reworking to get up and running. It's nice to see Arrowhead being pretty open with its player base about the workload a feature would require.

Check out our Helldivers 2 Devastators guide if you need a helping hand taking down the hulking robots. 

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

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