At the 2025 DICE Awards, the developers of Helldivers 2 spoke about the future of the game’s Galactic Campaign and their desire to give the community more freedom to influence the course of the interplanetary war — even if the infamous “Joel” comes in to destroy it all later.
It was a night of celebration for Arrowhead Studios at DICE 2025. The cooperative shooter Helldivers 2 took home four major awards, giving creative director Johan Pilestedt and associate director Mauricio Redondo the chance to share insights into the studio’s future plans.
A Living, Shifting Universe
One of the main topics was the evolution of the Galactic Campaign, a core feature that connects players through dynamic, shared objectives in the war between Super Earth and its enemies — giant bugs and killer robots threatening the game’s managed democracy. All of it is overseen by the mysterious “game master” known simply as Joel.
At the event, Pilestedt and Redondo revealed that the system still holds plenty of creative potential. The team’s long-term goal is to give players more agency to shape the galaxy using tools that allow for deeper strategic choices and real consequences.
“We want players to build their own sandcastles… and then Joel comes along and knocks them all down,” Pilestedt joked.
This captures the spirit of the campaign — a living world shaped by collective choices. In 2024, for example, players were given a choice to liberate one of two planets: saving one would unlock anti-tank mines for all, while the other was home to the “Super Citizen Anne’s Hospital for Very Sick Children” (with no gameplay reward). Players could coordinate outside the game… or fail and lose both. In the end, the community united to save the children.
Joel and the Galactic Chessboard
To create more moments like these, Redondo mentioned that the team is working on new “chess pieces” — gameplay mechanics that players will be able to move around the galactic map. Some of these might even allow players to respond directly to Joel’s actions, turning the elusive game master into an even more active force in the narrative.
While specific features weren’t disclosed (Pilestedt is currently on sabbatical and has temporarily stepped away from directing the game), it’s clear that Arrowhead
