Helldivers 2 has significantly outperformed expectations at Sony, achieving sales of 12 million units within the first 12 weeks following its launch. The announcement, made during an earnings call on Tuesday, declared the live service shooter as PlayStation’s fastest-selling game ever, eclipsing the previous record set by God of War Ragnarok after its release in November 2022.
According to Sony, the sales figure for Helldivers 2 includes copies sold on both PlayStation 5 and PC platforms. The game, developed by Arrowhead Game Studios, debuted on February 8, 2024, and quickly became an unexpected success. During the earnings call, the corporation confirmed that as of May 5, 2024, the title has achieved a historic milestone as the most successful launch for a PlayStation game, surpassing the 11 million copies sold by God of War Ragnarok in its first 10 weeks.
Additionally, Sony reported that cumulative sales of the PS5 reached 59.2 million units after selling 20.8 million units in fiscal year 2023, which ended on March 31, 2024. This sales figure comes close to the company’s revised goal of 21 million units for the year. The PS5’s sales performance is noteworthy, as it is now trailing just behind the PS4, which sold 60 million units in the same timeframe following its introduction in November 2020. However, Sony anticipates a decline in PS5 sales, projecting approximately 18 million units for fiscal year 2024.
With the success of Helldivers 2, Sony is now looking forward to releasing additional live service titles, including Destiny 2: The Final Shape and Concord, set to launch in 2024. The company has also acknowledged that PS5 sales are expected to gradually decrease as the console continues into its later life cycle. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the number of active PlayStation Network (PSN) users fell to 118 million, a decline from 123 million at the end of the previous quarter. On a positive note, the number of PS Plus subscribers increased to 47.4 million, up from 46.4 million in the previous quarter.
Since its launch on both PS5 and PC, Helldivers 2 has taken the gaming community by storm and remains one of the most played titles on Steam, even months after its release. Developer Arrowhead Game Studios is actively providing new content and updates to sustain player engagement. However, the title has faced some challenges along the way. Recently, Sony had to retract its requirement that PC players link their PSN accounts to Steam to continue playing, a decision that met significant backlash from users. Following a wave of negative reviews on Steam, the company reassessed its policy in response to player concerns.
