Why isn't Helldivers 2 on Xbox? Console exclusivity explained -

With word of mouth spreading fast, many people are surprised to find out that the game is not available on the Xbox platform. But why?

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Like all video games, what platform it lands on goes down to who made the game and the platform holders themselves – think PlayStation, Nintendo, Valve, Epic Games etc. After all, competition is fierce to come out on top.

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Taking this into account, Helldivers 2 being an exclusive for the PS5 and Steam is not too surprising once you know where it comes from.

Still, with a lot of questions surrounding Helldivers 2 on Xbox and the debate around exclusivity, let's dig a little deeper into the reasoning.

Why isn't Helldivers 2 on Xbox?

The decision to not bring Helldivers 2 to Xbox is solely down to Sony.

Helldivers 2 isn't available on the platform as the IP is owned by Sony who decided to publish the game exclusively on both PlayStation 5 and PC. If the company wants to bring the game to another platform it has the right, it's just highly doubtful.

Will Helldivers 2 ever come to Xbox?

Since Helldivers 2 is published and licensed by Sony Interactive Entertainment there's an extremely low probability of the game ever coming to the Xbox platform. Sony has owned the IP for Helldivers since before the first game was released back in 2015.

While developer Arrowhead Game Studios is not owned by Sony, it's unlikely that Sony will decide to publish any of its exclusive games on a competitor platform like Xbox. Even if Xbox is potentially poised to do the opposite with the PlayStation.

What games like Helldivers 2 can you play on Xbox?

Helldivers 2 is all but guaranteed not to arrive on the Xbox platform – however, there are plenty of other options that are similar to the third-person shooter.

Gears 5

The easiest alternative to suggest is the Gears of War series. The most recent release, Gears 5, hit Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC in 2019 and follows the story of Kait Diaz who sets out to discover the origins of the Locust Horde. The third-person shooter takes about a dozen hours to beat and also features three-player local split-screen multiplayer as well as online co-op.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite

Based on the second Alien film, the game actually picks up 23 years later as players control a Colonial Marine on board the UAS Endeavor, a spaceship that responds to emergency signals in the outer colonies. It's a cooperative third-person survival shooter that puts you up against the dreaded Xenomorph.

Remnant 2

Developed by Gunfire Games and published by Borderlands creator Gearbox, Remnant 2 found a sizeable audience for itself in 2023. The third-person survival-action shooter has players hunting down an evil entity known as The Root, who is trying to take over every universe. Available in both solo and co-op, the game surpassed over 2 million sales in its first few months, and has continued to keep players engaged with three expansions.

Deep Rock Galactic

Danish studio Ghost Ship Games made a cooperative first-person shooter in 2020 called Deep Rock Galactic that offers a similar gameplay loop to that of Helldivers. Teaming up with three other dwarves, players head out into the caves of Hoxxes IV to extract resources while encountering alien swarms. Every level is procedurally generated and is available on Xbox Game Pass.

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