Helldivers 2 Dev Says Old Game Was Only Review Bombed Because People Were Mad at Sony

Helldivers 2 creative lead Johan Pilestedt shares his thoughts on players “review bombing” Magicka, linking it to player disapproval about Sony’s Helldivers 2 account linking controversy. Helldivers 2 has been one of the biggest success stories of recent years, with the game seeing overwhelming success following its 2024 debut. The shooter has sold more than 19 million copies as of October 2025, and was the recipient of “Best Ongoing Game” and “Best Multiplayer Game” at the 2024 Game Awards. However, things have not been all positive for the breakout hit from Arrowhead Game Studios.

While Helldivers 2 has been one of the most popular games of the 2020s, the game has not been without its fair bit of controversy. Sony and Arrowhead sparked significant criticism not long after its February release, with Sony intending to require fans to have linked PSN accounts, even on Helldivers 2‘s PC version. The change did not go over well with fans and incited major backlash against Sony and Arrowhead, with some members of Arrowhead even encouraging fans to review bomb Helldivers 2 on Steam to protest the change. Now, an Arrowhead executive is commenting on another game from the Helldivers 2 developer hit with a flood of negative reviews.

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Helldivers 2 Lead Shares Thoughts on Review Bombing

Responding to a discussion about the future of Helldivers 2, creative lead Johan Pilestedt shared his thoughts on another of the studio’s games, Magicka. Pilestedt comments on the negative reception to Magicka from fans, quashing the sentiment that it was initially “review bomb” and rather an indictment of the game releasing buggy and unfinished. Pilestedt particularly felt that Magicka‘s situation was not review bombed on release, as the idea of review bombing a game “wasn’t a thing” at the time of its launch in 2011. Pilestedt also shared that Magicka, alongside the original Helldivers, had received collateral review bombing at the time of the previously-mentioned Sony controversy.

Speaking more on Magicka‘s debut, Johan Pilestedt addressed the unusual circumstances surrounding the game’s launch. Pilestedt claims that the game was released “without Arrowhead’s knowledge” by publisher Paradox Interactive, with the developer having to spring into action to quickly address bugs. Pilestedt shares the panic the development team experienced in seeing Magicka appear on the front page of Steam, with the studio “releasing patches every day” after the game’s release until it was brought to a playable state. Magicka received largely mixed reception from fans, with a sequel later being handed off to Pieces Interactive.

Image via Arrowhead Game Studios

Review Bombing is Becoming a Major Weapon for Fans

Review bombing has become all too common in the modern gaming industry, with gamers expressing their discontent through negative reception. Many games have been victim of review bombing due to player discontent with the out-of-game actions of a studio, alongside complaints about the quality and polish of new games. Some fandoms, like Genshin Impact‘s, have even taken review bombing to platforms outside the developer, with entirely unrelated apps like Google Classroom being hit with negative press after controversial decisions. Arrowhead also has plenty of experience with review bombing itself, with Helldivers 2 often being the target of incensed fans.

Image via Arrowhead Game Studios

Helldivers 2 looks to have a big year in store for fans, with Arrowhead already teasing some of what’s to come in 2026. Helldivers 2 reportedly has some major story content in store throughout the year, with the developer reportedly working on a roadmap that emphasizes features without spoiling the story. Arrowhead has also confirmed the first Warbond set to release in 2026 with the stealth-focused Redacted Regiment, though the developer later delayed the Warbond due to unexpected difficulties. Helldivers 2 is set to hit the ground running for another massively successful year, with some major plans for Super Earth on the way.

Released

February 8, 2024

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact

Developer(s)

Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes

Publisher(s)

Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing