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Arrowhead has shared the first details about their next game in a new job listing, and it already promises a big upgrade over Helldivers 2 by using the Unreal Engine. The Unreal Engine isn’t without its issues, but it’s new, continually receives updates, and is much better than the defunct and archaic Autodesk Stingray engine used for HD2.
Helldivers 2 was developed using the Autodesk Stingray/Bitsquid engine which was also used for the original Helldivers. This engine was used for other games such as Escape Dead Island and Warhammer Vermintide 2, but it was discontinued in 2018, six years before HD2 was released in February 2024.
As for why Arrowhead used the engine, the studio’s CCO, Pilestedt, confirmed that Helldivers 2 started development “before it was discontinued”. Because of this, Arrowhead’s “crazy engineers had to do everything, with no support to build the game to parity with other engines”.
What Arrowhead has built off the back of a dead engine is impressive, but it is also the root cause of the game’s technical issues. Arrowhead CEO, Shams Jorjani, has referred to it as “technical debt,” and it’s a problem that makes development and performance a constant struggle.
Fortunately, Arrowhead’s next game is using the Unreal Engine. The studio’s job listing states they are looking for a Senior System Designer who has had “Hands-on with Unreal Engine [because] strong experience with Unreal is essential”. This should make Arrowhead’s next game look better than Helldivers 2, but, most importantly, it should be easier to develop and maintain.
Arrowhead’s Next Game After Helldivers 2
Arrowhead has previously confirmed that their next game after Helldivers 2 isn’t Helldivers 3, and they have also confirmed that their next game will be “100% funded” by themselves. This means they will not be partnering with Sony again to act as the publisher.
The only other details we now know come courtesy of this fresh job listing. According to Arrowhead’s application, it’s a “new IP” and it is a “co-op action game”. Alas, there’s no further details hinting at it’s setting, but at least we know Arrowhead are working on another co-op action multiplayer experience that isn’t set in the Helldivers universe.
As for Helldivers 2, Arrowhead hope to continue supporting the game for as long as possible. The developers are currently “busting ass” to get the next update out, and they have also delayed the addition of new content such as leaked Illuminate so they can focus on improving performance.
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