Helldivers 2’s Killzone crossover, confirmed and released today, December 18, has already sparked a backlash over the cost of its items.
Part one of the Helldivers 2 and Killzone crossover includes a Killzone-themed armor set, assault rifle, banner, cape, and player title.
Amid excitement that Sony has remembered the Killzone franchise exists over a decade since the launch of the last game in Guerrilla’s first-person shooter series are complaints about the cost of these items.
The new armor costs 500 Super Credits, the new cape 310 Super Credits, the new helmet 310 Super Credits, and, most egregious of all, the new assault rifle costs 615 Super Credits. Oh, and all these items are only available for five days before they’re rotated out of the store.
It’s worth putting these prices into context. 1,000 SC costs $9.99 / £7.99 in the in-game store. One of Helldivers 2’s premium Warbonds costs 1,000 Super Credits, which means that if you want all the Killzone items, you’re looking at just shy of twice the price of a premium Warbond.
Now, there will be Helldivers 2 players who have Super Credits saved up after nearly a year of playing the game, and it’s worth noting that you can unlock 300 Super Credits in Warbonds with your medals, or find them out and about by looting in gameplay. But the fact remains that these items are also being sold for real-world money, and the pricing is unlike anything fans have seen so far in Helldivers 2.
Meanwhile, the Killzone assault rifle has sparked renewed pay-to-win accusations from some in the game’s community, despite it being considered a bit of a downgrade compared to already available guns. The Helldivers subreddit is already littered with complaints, many of which point out that Helldivers 2 is not a free game and so should take a different approach to monetization.
User Straight-Break-4169 said: “No set should cost over 1,000 SC. Even if we forget the armor set, a new AR?? They seriously add a new gun and lock it behind a 600 Super Credit paywall!?”
“615 SC for a primary weapon is straight up ridiculous,” added Goopmaster_. “I get the game needs to be monetized in some way, I get that the devs’ work isn’t free, but charging half a Warbond price for an assault rifle with no optic is straight up nonsense.”
“I knew it was a slippery slope, but didn't think we'd reach that part of the slope already,” SovietMarma commented. “I've willingly paid for 1,000 SC packs for each and every Warbond release so I could support the game and buy the Super Store armors that came with them. Don't think I'll be doing the same here.”
In a blog post, Arrowhead said the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 belongs to a new tier of “special” premium content reserved for collaborations and other “uniquely-themed work.” “Our plan is to offer you something distinct and special,” the developer added.
Helldivers 2’s recent Illuminate update breathed new life into the game, sparking a resurgence in players and enthusiasm around the addition of a new faction to fight against. But as has been the case multiple times during the game’s rollercoaster first year of live service, it’s a case of one step forward, two steps back for community sentiment.
And, as you'd expect, fans are taking to Steam user reviews to express their dissatisfaction over the Killzone prices. "The Superstore items are straight scams," one negative review reads. "Such a shame after such a great update."
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
