Helldivers 2 launched exclusively on PS5 and PC on February 8, quickly becoming a phenomenon and rising up the charts to become one of the most played games on Steam. The co-op third-person shooter developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment broke the mold a bit when it launched on PlayStation platforms as well as Windows. Although it is not a first-party title, publisher Sony rarely releases games under its banner on other platforms at launch. The runaway success of Helldivers 2, however, may force PlayStation parents to rethink their strategy. The game is now rumored to be the subject of internal discussions over a possible Xbox release.

This information comes from XboxEra co-founder Nick Baker (@Shpeshal_Nick), who talked about a possible Xbox launch for Helldivers 2. latest episode Of the XboxEra Podcast. “We know that PlayStation has a new CEO at this time. And I think CEOs may be a little more open to some things,” Baker said. “So, what I’ve heard – just a rumor I’ve heard – is that there may be some very early preliminary discussions about the possibility of Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox,” he said.

However, keep in mind, these are just rumors and there has been no official confirmation from Sony or Microsoft that Helldivers 2 will be coming to the Xbox platform. Baker also clarified that the rumor doesn’t mean the game is coming to Xbox. “I’ve heard there’s been some initial discussions about it, it could all be piecemeal. They may not agree on anything,” he said in the podcast.

However, the chances of Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox aren’t that remote. The game has enjoyed unprecedented success on PC, with regular updates and content additions keeping players engaged even two months after launch. The Xbox release of an online co-op shooter will bring a new group of players to the game. And with the game’s live service model, more player engagement will generate more revenue.

In February, when Helldivers 2 was making waves, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer bemoaned the game’s PlayStation and PC exclusivity and wondered who it was helping by not being on Xbox. “I will say, when I look at a game like Helldivers 2, and it’s a fantastic game, congratulations to the team on shipping it on PC and PlayStation, I’m not exactly sure who it helps in the industry by not being on Xbox. ,” Spencer said in a Interview With game file.

Spencer’s comments come as Microsoft announced that four Xbox exclusive titles – Hi-Fi Rush, Grounded, Sea of ​​Thieves and Penitentiary – will launch on rival platforms from Sony and Nintendo. With four Xbox first-party titles coming to PS5, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if Sony actually decides to launch Helldivers 2 on Xbox.

A few weeks after its release, Helldivers 2 broke several peak concurrent player count records on Steam, surpassing popular games such as Grand Theft Auto 5, Destiny 2, Starfield, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, even though the game was plagued by technical problems. Was suffering. The game’s massive success and growing number of players had not prepared the developers for server crashes. Since then, Arrowhead Game Studios has released several updates to address the game’s issues and stabilize the servers.