Leadership Change at Arrowhead Game Studios
Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios had a change in leadership on May 22. Thanks to a message from the new CEO of Arrowhead, Shams Jorjani, we now have a better idea of what the change means for the studio and the game.
A Glimpse into the Future of Helldivers 2
In an extensive Reddit thread on May 28, Shams Jorjani revealed what we can expect from Helldivers 2 and the studio moving forward. Jorjani reiterated that the goal of the leadership change is to enable developers, including former CEO Johan Pilestedt, to focus more on the game.
New Role for Johan Pilestedt
Pilestedt is now chief creative officer at Arrowhead and is tasked with being the “Obi-wan to many ‘Lukes’” in the studio. Pilestedt will be on the developers’ toes when it comes to balancing weapons and designing missions or enemies. A few weeks ago, the former CEO already made a push for better weapon balancing to keep more fun things in the game, and we can expect to see more of that as Helldivers 2 continues to grow.
Engaging with the Community
Another thing Pilestedt always does is engage with the community, which is where that last weapon balancing push came from. Jorjani highlighted that he and Pilestedt will always be active online to directly talk to the players and listen to their feedback. “We share well-articulated feedback about the game internally, it really resonates and makes it easier for us to do our jobs,” Jorjani wrote.
Partnership with Sony
Jorjani also briefly touched on Arrowhead’s partnership with Sony. “They’re an amazing partner and we really, really really wouldn’t have had HD2 if it wasn’t for them,” he wrote, adding that the studio will keep working closely with Sony to improve the game.
Meeting the Community’s Expectations
When it comes to new content for Helldivers 2, the new CEO admitted the developer knows it would be impossible to keep up with the community’s “insatiable hunger for more fun shit to do.” This is why the studio has established a singular focus, to ensure it can make “more and better stuff” for Helldivers 2 in the long-term.