While it may never recover its glory days around launch, Helldivers 2 is on the up and up. Sony and Arrowhead Games Studios’ Starship Troopers-like shooter has managed to claw its way out of an era of controversy and player dissatisfaction, and has been doing a great job of keeping veterans interested while greeting newcomers with the best content it has to offer. With a third enemy faction and the defense of Super Earth under its belt, Helldivers 2 is once again the loud and ironically-proud multiplayer hit that PC and PS5 players fell in love with.
Soon enough, a third group will be able to join in on the fun, thanks to the surprise announcement that Helldivers 2 will arrive on Xbox Series X and Series S at the end of August 2025. This is a big deal, as it’s the first time Sony has matched Microsoft’s efforts to send first-party Xbox titles to the PS5, even if Helldivers landing on Game Pass is probably out of the question. It's a grand experiment using one of PlayStation’s largest modern successes, and events are already lining up in Helldivers’ favor if one leak is to be believed.
Helldivers 2 Is Joining A Silly, Yet Proud Sci-Fi Weapon Tradition
Chainswords Couldn't Hit Helldivers 2 At A Better Time
A considerable number of leaks have spilled out of Helldivers 2 since 2025 began, and among the more intriguing ones are the vague promise of more melee weapons. The community already has official confirmation from Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani that some big melee weapons are on their way, with particular emphasis being put on “some kind of chainsword.” Chainswords are a classic soft sci-fi tool that crop up when it's time for the action to get especially messy, and serve as the perfect absurd counterpart to the saber and flagpole that some Helldivers 2 players already have.
Most of all, chainswords are associated with Warhammer 40,000, and the confirmation of one suggests that the hit 2024 Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 could collaborate with Helldivers 2 in the future. That would be exciting all on its own, but the timing of a chainsword arriving in Helldivers 2 may have more significance than that, even if it's only symbolic. A heavily armored third-person soldier running into battle to bring a chainsaw down on insectoid aliens sounds like the spitting image of Gears of War, which is more than welcome in Helldivers.
Helldivers 2 Emulating Gears of War Helps It Settle Into Its Xbox Port
One of the most famous visuals associated with Gears of War is the bulky main characters holding Lancer Assault Rifles, and it wouldn't be complete without each one being fitted with a chainsaw bayonet. This tool is omnipresent throughout the series, being equally present in single-player and multiplayer with chainsaw duels and other wrinkles, and it's arguably one of Gears of War's greatest features. Revving up a chainsaw bayonet and charging down an enemy for an instant-kill could even be a glimpse at how Helldivers 2’s chainswords end up working, though it's not the only option.
Gears of War Could Share More Than Just Chainsaw Weapons With Helldivers 2
Chainswords at Helldivers 2's Xbox Series launch may bring Gears of War to mind, but Helldivers could easily hew even closer to the Xbox franchise with an outright crossover. How the chainswords are implemented can serve as a groundwork for how the chainsaw on a Lancer would function in a Gears of War-themed Warbond, which feels like a top-priority crossover alongside Halo. Helldivers 2 has a golden opportunity here to sync up with Xbox’s existing sci-fi shooters, and introducing the chainsword at just the right moment could be how it starts.
Helldivers 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- February 8, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- bitsquid
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
