Helldivers 2 Crosses Paths With Star Wars, Aliens, and More

Helldivers 2’s creative director recently shared his dream crossovers for the game. Read on to discover more about these potential crossovers and what Johan Pilestedt had to say about the matter.

Helldivers 2 Creative Director Reveals Dream CrossoversFrom Starship Troopers to Warhammer 40K

Video games are no strangers to crossovers. From fighting game clashes like Tekken welcoming fighters from non-fighting franchises such as Final Fantasy and even The Walking Dead to unexpected collaborations like Fortnite's ever-expanding roster of guest stars, these crossovers have become increasingly popular in recent years. Now, the creative director of Helldivers 2, Johan Pilestedt has joined the fray, sharing his dream crossovers for the game, including iconic franchises like Starship Troopers, Terminator, and Warhammer 40,000.

The crossover conversation began with a tweet from Pilestedt on November 2, where he praised the tabletop game Trench Crusade, calling it a "cool IP." When Trench Crusade’s official account responded with a cheeky yet profane reply, Pilestedt took it up a notch by suggesting a crossover between Helldivers 2 and Trench Crusade.

Surprised but thrilled, the Trench Crusade social media team called it "the sickest thing imaginable." Pilestedt then reached out directly, hinting at "more things to discuss" and potentially paving the way for a collaboration between the two war-themed universes.

For the uninitiated, Trench Crusade is "a truly heretical skirmish wargame set in an alternative WW1" where the forces of Hell and Heaven clash in a perpetual war on Earth. Conceived by concept artist Mike Franchina and former Warhammer designer Tuomas Pirinen, the tabletop game reimagines a world scarred by endless conflict, spanning from medieval times through World War I.

However, the creative director soon toned down expectations, stating that "there are so many hurdles." A few days later, he clarified that these were just "fun musings" rather than concrete plans while also sharing an expanded list of his favorite franchises that he would, in an ideal world, bring into Helldivers 2—if only to share his admiration.

His dream crossover list included major sci-fi powerhouses such as Alien, Starship Troopers, Terminator, Predator, Star Wars, and even Blade Runner. But he emphasized that adding all these to the game would risk diluting the satirical, militaristic flavor of its identity. In his words, "if we were to do all of them, it would dilute the IP and make it a ‘not helldivers’ experience."

It’s easy to see why fans are intrigued, however. Crossover content has become a hallmark of live-service games, and Helldivers 2, with its alien battles and hyper-detailed combat, seems like a perfect fit for partnerships with big-name franchises. Yet Pilestedt chooses to retain a sense of creative responsibility to preserve the game’s tone.

While Pilestedt is open to the idea of both large and small crossover elements—whether a single weapon or a full character skin available for purchase through Warbonds—he stressed again that these are merely his "personal preference and joys in life" and that "Nothing [is] decided yet."

Many seem to appreciate Arrowhead Studios’ careful approach to crossovers, especially given the trend of live-service games cramming in endless character skins, weapons, and accessories that sometimes clash with the game’s original setting. By holding back, Pilestedt is signaling that Helldivers 2’s cohesive universe comes first.

Ultimately, the decision on how to—or if they ever will—implement crossovers in Helldivers 2 rests with the developers. While discussions have surfaced regarding how certain franchises might integrate smoothly into the game's satirical style, it remains to be seen if such crossovers will occur. Perhaps one day, the soldiers of Super Earth will confront a horde of Xenomorphs as Jango Fett or the Terminator. It doesn’t sound like a great idea, but it’s certainly an intriguing thought experiment.