Johan Pilestedt, creative director of Helldivers 2, has announced a well-deserved sabbatical. Upon his return, he'll shift his focus to Arrowhead’s next project.

In a recent tweet, Pilestedt reflected on his 11 years dedicated to the Helldivers franchise, beginning with the original game in 2013 and continuing with Helldivers 2 since early 2016. He acknowledged the demanding nature of this commitment, stating, “Eleven years of working around the clock on the same IP has made me set aside family, friends, and my lovely wife… and myself. I am going to take some time now to redeem what was lost from all of those that supported me for over a decade.” He reassured fans that Arrowhead will continue to support Helldivers 2 during his absence.

Pilestedt’s announcement follows the phenomenal success of Helldivers 2, launched in February 2024. Despite initial challenges, the cooperative shooter became PlayStation Studios’ fastest-selling game ever, reaching 12 million copies sold within 12 weeks. This success has even led to a Helldivers 2 movie adaptation.

Pilestedt became a prominent figurehead for the game, actively engaging with the community online. He openly addressed both positive and negative feedback, including the significant increase in community toxicity following the game's launch, a challenge he highlighted in May 2024.

Prior to Helldivers 2, Arrowhead enjoyed success with the original Helldivers and Magicka. However, the unprecedented success of Helldivers 2 significantly amplified the studio's profile and brought new challenges, including increased online abuse. Pilestedt previously detailed the substantial impact of threats and harassment received by the studio's staff.

The game's launch wasn't without its issues; significant server problems and the controversial initial requirement for PC players to link to a PlayStation Network account resulted in considerable backlash. While Sony ultimately reversed the PSN requirement, the damage had been done, leading to a review-bombing campaign on Steam and causing a week's worth of lost productivity for Arrowhead's staff in addressing the fallout.

Following Helldivers 2's release, Pilestedt transitioned from CEO to chief creative officer to better focus on game development and community engagement. Shams Jorjani, formerly of Paradox Interactive, assumed the role of CEO.

While details about Arrowhead's next game remain scarce, it's expected to be some time before its release. Meanwhile, Arrowhead continues to update Helldivers 2, recently introducing a third enemy faction, the Illuminate, to maintain player engagement.