Arrowhead's New Title 'Game 6' Fully Self-Funded and Publisher-Free

Arrowhead Game Studios, the Swedish company that made the surprise multiplayer hit Helldivers 2, is trying something new with its next game. There will be no publishers or outside investors, and the developers will have full creative freedom. Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani recently talked to fans on Discord and confirmed that the studio is fully funding its upcoming project, which is internally known as Game 6.

This is a big change for the developer. Their most recent game, Helldivers 2, came out in February 2024 with help from PlayStation Studios. The game quickly gained a loyal following on both PlayStation 5 and PC, thanks in large part to strong updates released after launch and tight cooperative gameplay. Even though they worked well together, Jorjani says the studio is ready to go its way.

He said, "There would be no Helldivers right now if it weren't for PlayStation." "They are solid partners who care a lot about games and development." This is just me telling them the truth—I'm not blowing smoke up their asses.

In spite of the praise, Jorjani made it clear that his choice to fund the next game himself comes from the unique situation Arrowhead is in right now. Thanks to a dedicated community and the commercial success of Helldivers 2, the studio now has the money and confidence to make a game on its terms.

"It's great that you wonderful people have helped Arrowhead so much; its future looks very bright," he said. "We've been able to try out some really cool ideas that we wouldn't have been able to do otherwise."

By not working with a publisher, Arrowhead can keep full creative control over Game 6 and maybe even release it on all major platforms, like Xbox and PC. In today's multi-platform world, that's very important, especially for a studio that has recently gained popularity and a reputation for supporting its fans through the community.

Along with this announcement, Helldivers 2 got a big update not long ago. Patch 1.003 added new enemies, more ways to customize weapons, and a new Warbond expansion called Masters of Ceremony, which gives fans even more content to play. The update shows that Arrowhead is still dedicated to making its current games better, even as it looks to the future.

Many studios might choose the safety net of a publisher partnership, especially after a big hit, but Arrowhead's choice to stay independent says a lot about how it is changing. It's a rare move in a business where publishers often control everything from when games come out to how they make money.

Still, Jorjani didn't say that they couldn't work together again in the future. He said, "We're open to working with Sony again in the future." This means that they could work together again if the right time comes up.

At the moment, though, Arrowhead is going with the indie vibe while using a triple-A toolkit and the support of a strong community. We don't know if Game 6 will be as popular as or more popular than Helldivers 2, but one thing is for sure: Arrowhead is taking charge and won't be looking back.