Helldivers 2 is a positive example of a live service for many players. But besides the gameplay aspects, the small references to the world are also important. To update these, the former lead writer of Helldivers 2 worked until burnout because he wanted to create the perfect game.
Of course, there are not only developers for such live service games, but also writers who take care of everything around it. In Helldivers 2, the narrative hit the nerve of the community who loves the satirical treatment à la Starship Troopers.
The former lead writer Russ Nickel was partly responsible for this, who had worked on films and series before the game. In an interview with inverse.com, he talked about his new game and working on a live service game.
In the announcement trailer, you can feel the satire about the world of Helldivers 2:
I completely self-destructed
What does he say in the interview? In the interview, Nickel talks about working on his new game and whether it will also be a live service game. Nickel says this is not possible because they just don’t have the capacity for it. However, he will miss working on a live service game.
Nickel was then asked if he managed to avoid burnout and manage the workload properly. Nickel replied:
No, I am completely burnt out. But that was my own fault. This is also a reason why I am making this new game. I wanted Helldivers 2 to be so perfect that I completely self-destructed.
Russ Nickel on burnout and Helldivers 2 (Source: inverse.com)
According to his own statements, Nickel gave up his friendships and pulled all-nighters. However, he emphasizes that this was never demanded by Arrowhead and that it happened of his own accord. He simply wanted to make the best out of the game.
What’s next for him? Currently, Nickel is no longer working for Arrowhead. However, he still wants to work with games and is therefore working on a new game. The game is primarily supposed to be inspired by Fire Emblem and become a tactical strategy RPG. However, the focus will also be on the narrative.
Nickel also says that everything he learned at Helldivers will influence the game. Helldivers 2 has a strong connection to its own community. Many of the employees are a well-known focus within the memes and posts. A community manager has also gained attention due to the Sony controversy: The community manager of Helldivers 2 has now been fired: players want him back
