Helldivers 2 Developer Will "Never" Add PvP Because It Doesn't Want A Toxic Community

Anyone looking to spread managed democracy to their fellow players in Helldivers 2 are out of luck, as developer Arrowhead Game Studios has no plans to introduce a PvP mode to the game, with CEO Johan Pilestedt going so far as to say that it'll "never" be added to the multiplayer shooter. The reason why? Because Arrowhead simply doesn't want to invite any toxic elements into the growing armies of Super-Earth.

"We'll 'never' add a PvP-mode," Pilestedt said in response to a Helldivers 2 player suggesting the inclusion of the mode. "This is to reduce toxic elements from the community. We want an environment that's supportive, fun, and where we all are fighting on the same side!"

By its design, Helldivers 2 emphasizes teamwork and tactics in each squad. Friendly-fire is on by default and can't be disabled, so walking in front of a player while they're mowing down democracy-hating Terminids or traitorous robots will result in a quick death. This design decision works surprisingly well in fostering connections between teammates and there's an unspoken rule to avoid griefing when you're exploring a planet unless you want to be booted from the squad.

Accidents do happen--and are hilarious--but overall, Helldivers 2 promotes solid teamwork and communication between its players on PC and PS5. As Piledstedt explained in a follow-up tweet, Helldivers 2 was made to be a game "for people that just want to have a challenging time with friends" in a PvE setting.

February has been a big month for new live-service game releases--Foamstars and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League also launched this month--and Helldivers 2 has been a big hit so far. Arrowhead is now on a hiring spree as it plans to "accelerate and beef up content plans" around the Starship Troopers-inspired game and is also in the process of improving its servers to keep up with player demand.