PlayStation’s live service shooter Helldivers 2 will arrive on Xbox on August 26, 2025. This marks an unusual move where a PlayStation-published title is coming to Xbox, a first in the industry. The game will be priced at a reasonable $40, avoiding the recent trend of $70+ game prices.
Unlike other Xbox titles, Helldivers 2 won’t be part of Xbox Game Pass at launch. It’s an interesting choice given the game’s popularity, especially on PC, where it maintains a larger player base than on PlayStation. The shooter can draw spikes of over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam during significant updates, with a steady nightly crowd between 50,000 and 70,000 players, a solid figure for this genre nowadays.
One notable downside for Xbox players: Helldivers 2 won’t support cross-progression across platforms. So if you’ve been grinding on PC or PlayStation, you’ll have to start fresh on Xbox. It’s somewhat disappointing, especially since the game is now available on three platforms. If cross-progression hasn’t shown up yet, it’s unlikely to arrive later.
This release comes at a turbulent time for Xbox, which recently faced layoffs and the cancellation of several projects, including major ones like Perfect Dark and Rare’s Everwild. The timing might be coincidental, yet it’s hard not to notice the contrast.
While other PlayStation studios like Bungie have multi-platform hits such as Destiny 2, and upcoming games like Marathon will launch day and date on Xbox, Helldivers 2 stands out as the first title published by PlayStation on Xbox. Don’t expect flagship PlayStation exclusives like God of War or The Last of Us to cross over anytime soon, though.
Will this move shift anything between the two console giants? It’s a rare glimpse into some collaboration, or at least a sharing of audiences. I wonder how Xbox players will take to a PlayStation-published live service shooter, especially with no Game Pass support or cross-save. Still, for fans of the game or genre, it’s a solid chance to jump in on a $40 game that promises hundreds of hours of action.
What do you think about Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox? Will you be diving in on day one or sitting this one out? Let me know below!
