Helldivers 2 launches on Xbox in August

Xbox today revealed that multiplayer game Helldivers 2 is launching on Xbox Series X/S on August 26. The game, which originally launched on February 2024, was published by Sony, perennial rival of Microsoft. It was also previously exclusive on console to PlayStation consoles. Its August 26 launch date is the same as Gear of War: Reloaded, which brings a formerly Xbox-exclusive game to PlayStation.

The reason why this is significant is that, while Xbox has undertaken a multiplatform strategy for its first-person titles — which appears to have worked, insofar as sales figures for PlayStation goes — Sony has not thus far reciprocated. PlayStation exclusives remain PlayStation exclusives. While Helldivers 2 launched on PC, its launch on Xbox is still a surprise and the first sign that Xbox’s efforts to expand release platforms might be reciprocal.