"There are more Helldivers than Swedes" says Helldivers 2 lead as his game becomes Sony's fastest-selling title ever
It's only been out three months, but Sony has revealed that everyone's favorite extraction shooter has become the fastest-selling PlayStation game ever.
Having launched on PS5 and PC on February 8, 2024, Helldivers 2 moved a whopping 12 million units during its first 12 weeks, according to Sony's FY23 earnings call. This like-for-like ratio was enough to beat the likes of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and God of War: Ragnarok in fresh-out-the-gate sales – no small feat for Swedish developer Arrowhead Studios. The honor shifts to Arrowhead from Sony Santa Monica, when in 2022, the God of War: Ragnarok developer reported 5.1 million copies sold during its first week and 11 million copies total sold across its inaugural 12 weeks. Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 stole the show last year with a whopping 2.5 million units sold on day-one, but when it comes to the 12-week numbers game, Helldivers 2 is the clear top seller.
Arrowhead lead Johan Pilestedt took to Twitter to put the news in frankly baffling terms of size and scale. "It's crazy to think that there are more Helldivers than there are Swedes," he jokes in amazement before thanking the creative team and passionate community for playing a role in the game's success.
It's an impressive feat for sure, but given the popularity of Helldivers 2, I almost expected it. The game launched on PS5 and PC earlier this year on February 8, uniting players in bringing democracy to hostile planets in a stylish Starshoop Troopers-esque PvE frenzy that totally reinvented its 2015 predecessor. It's early days for Helldivers 2, and if the numbers are any reflection, Arrowhead is only going from strength to strength.
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