Summary
Arrowhead Games CEO Shams Jorjani has apologized following the recent backlash overHelldivers 2’sKillzonecrossover pricing, stating that the studio wants to find a “sweet spot” between content and prices. TheHelldivers 2Killzonecrossover launched on December 18 and was quickly met with criticism from fans who complained that the cosmetics were overpriced, especially considering thatHelldivers 2is not a free game.
Helldivers 2’sKillzonecrossover began as a rumorand ultimately became a reality. The crossover features items inspired by the iconic Helghast aesthetic, including an armor set, an assault rifle, cosmetics, and a community challenge. Along with this, Arrowhead announced the implementation of a new item rotation system to address player concerns about how quickly items disappear. As a result, a second wave ofKillzonecontent is scheduled for the cooperative third-person shooter on December 23. Although a crossover with the popular 2009 sci-fi shooterKillzone 2initially excited fans, the community has expressed dissatisfaction with it.
Many players feel that the 1,975 Super Credits price forHelldivers 2’sKillzonecrossover(roughly $20) is too steep, especially for a game that isn’t free-to-play. Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani responded to the criticism on theHelldiversDiscord, saying this was the studio’s first big collaboration, and it’s still figuring out how to get pricing and content right. He admitted that the pricing was a mistake, explained it had been discussed in a recent team meeting, and assured players that the studio would use feedback to improve future releases. “We’d love to find the sweet spot of people loving the content AND the price,” Jorjani said, acknowledging they missed the mark this time.
Players have also raised concerns about the crossover items being available for only five days before they’re removed from the store, creating an unnecessary sense of urgency. Jorjani admitted that this approach may have played a part in the negative reactions and assured fans the studio plans to adjust in the future. Some players believed this price could have been set by Sony, which owns theKillzoneIP, but Arrowhead CCO Johan Pilestedt confirmed on Twitter that Arrowhead was the only one responsible for the decisions. Pilestedt explained that the team’s goal was to create content with long-term sustainability in mind. He acknowledged thatHelldivers 2’sKillzonecrossover high pricesand limited availability understandably frustrated players.
This controversy comes afterHelldivers 2had finally regained its overwhelmingly positive rating on Steam. While Arrowhead has now addressed those issues, it took almost a year to rebuild player trust. It remains to be seen whether the studio can handle theKillzonecontroversy without further upsetting its player base.
