Helldivers 2 Director Urges Industry to Embrace Risks Over Trend-Chasing

Creative director of Helldivers 2 Johan Pilestedt made a strong statement regarding the widespread layoffs in the industry at the GDC 2025. He argued that these layoffs have become excessively harsh, and companies must learn from their mistakes to make the «cycle of death and rebirth» less painful.

The developer believes that the current situation stems from poor decisions made by company leaders, who blindly chase trends and have rushed to create even more battle royales simply because a few of them have found success.

Pilestedt acknowledges that layoffs will always be a part of the industry, but he emphasizes the need to minimize their scale and severity. He suggests taking risks and creating more diverse games to meet the demand of an ever-growing gamer audience.

In Pilestedt’s view, many publishers are playing it safe, but this ultimately leads to «death sentences» for studios.

He also addressed the topic of game design, asserting that the primary goal of game development is to provide users with engaging experiences. If developers strip out all the chaos from a project, it can become painfully dull. «It’s crucial to maintain balance. If you go too far in smoothing edges, the game may turn out bland,» he commented.

The developer further highlighted the lack of diversity in games, noting that many creators flock to the same niche without offering anything new.

Pilestedt concluded his speech by urging studios to take more risks, as this could help prevent widespread failures driven by the pursuit of trends. «Create your games based on your studio’s principles and style. Don’t just mimic others; think about what you want to create, and invest in that,» he stated.