Pretty much everyone expects the November launch of GTA 6 to dominate the world of entertainment — indeed that’s one of the reasons we have a September crush of video game releases. But according to the CEO of Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead, there are two very good reasons why developers shouldn’t be too worried.
Speaking to IGN, Arrowhead boss Shams Jorjani said that the lack of a PC version of GTA 6 at launch, as well as the absence of whatever the next generation of GTA Online looks like, means there’s reason to believe games like Helldivers 2 retain their own space.
“Rockstar makes ridiculous, high-effort stuff and it’s awesome that games like this get made,” Jorjani said. “On a selfish level I’m happy it’s not hitting PC right away, and that online isn’t dropping at launch. It means Helldivers 2 gets to keep crushing it in our own space, and is also why it won’t be the all consuming behemoth everyone’s worried about.
“Everyone in the industry right now is constantly pivoting strategies and obsessing over early player feedback just to survive. But Rockstar has the brand power to confidently take their time and run their classic play. They have the confidence and freedom to spend a decade doing things the old-school way because they know the core game will deliver. It’s going to raise the bar for sure.”
Of course, Helldivers 2 is also out on console (it’s a PlayStation Studios game and Sony owns the Helldivers IP), but the explosive co-op action game is particularly strong on Steam, where it retains a loyal and sizeable audience of fans even now, two-and-a-half years after launch.
You’d image that the launch of GTA 6 will have an impact on even PC games, but perhaps long-running Steam games that revolve around online play will prove more resilient than others. Let’s remember: GTA 6 is a single-player game at launch. There’s no online mode at all this November.
GTA 6 is also set for launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S only, which in 2026 feels like an odd release strategy but is in keeping with Rockstar’s playbook. Jorjani touches on this in his comment — Rockstar is perhaps one of the few video game developers around that can guarantee success even skipping PC. GTA 6 is just that big of a deal. There’s nothing like it.
Be sure to check out IGN’s GTA 6 official gameplay reveal live blog, where we’ll bring you all the news across the internet on today’s Netflix exclusive and beyond.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
