July 1st 2024.
What will happen in the future for these two games? It's been quite the journey for Helldivers 2 and Palworld - one game has seen a rapid decline in popularity while the other has made a successful comeback.
But before we dive into the details, let's talk about the concept of live service titles. These are games, like Fortnite, that are meant to have a long lifespan. Some people may not be a fan of this type of game, but that doesn't necessarily mean they think it's a bad idea. However, there are concerns about publishers focusing solely on live service games and neglecting other types of games. And according to reports, this seems to be the case at PlayStation at the moment.
The reason this is seen as a risky strategy is because creating a successful single-player game is a more reliable feat than making a successful live service game. Live service games are unpredictable, and even if they do well at first, there's no guarantee they will continue to be popular in the long run.
That brings us to Palworld and Helldivers 2, two highly anticipated releases at the beginning of the year. Both games were met with great success, almost setting the tone for a new era of live service dominance. But as time went on, their popularity began to dwindle and they struggled to remain in the top 40 most played games on Steam.
Interestingly, while Helldivers 2 is the fastest selling PlayStation exclusive ever, the majority of players are on the PC. This could potentially influence Sony's future plans for simultaneous releases and PC support.
Unfortunately, Helldivers 2 faced some unnecessary setbacks, such as the forced use of PlayStation Network accounts, which led to a decline in players. And despite efforts from developer Arrowhead to release high-quality updates less frequently, there hasn't been any major content updates in recent weeks.
On the other hand, Palworld has been performing just as poorly in terms of player numbers. However, fans have had something to look forward to - the highly anticipated *Sakurajima* update, which was released on Friday. And it did not disappoint - the number of concurrent players on Steam increased by a whopping 700%.
This update added a new area and PvP gameplay, bringing the total number of players on Steam from 15,000 to 143,369 over the weekend. While this is still far from their launch record, it did bring the game back into the top 20.
But how long will this success last? It's hard to say, especially since developer Pocketpair is a small team and did not expect this level of success. And while Sony may not have any excuses for their handling of Helldivers 2, both games serve as a reminder that initial success does not guarantee a game's long-term future.
Despite the uneven fortunes of these two games, it's unlikely that companies will be deterred from creating live service titles. For many, the potential to create the next Fortnite is worth the risk of several failures along the way.
In the end, it's impossible to predict the long-term success of these games. And in a time when the gaming industry is still recovering from the pandemic and economic struggles, the added instability of live service games only adds to the challenges faced by developers.
So, what will happen to Palworld and Helldivers 2? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure - we'll be keeping a close eye on their progress. And if you want to stay updated with all the latest gaming news, be sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media.
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