Pirate Software aspires to start his own publishing company after Helldivers 2 downfall
Arrowhead Game StudiosGame Developer Pirate Software has shared his thoughts on creating his own publishing company after the recent Helldivers 2 debacle.
Pirate Software’s statement posted to Twitter/X on May 5 was in response to Helldivers 2’s recent downfall, which highlighted the harsh reality of signing with large publishers.
“The last few days of watching Sony gut Helldivers 2 is a grim reminder of the pitfalls of working with a publisher. Make sure you know what you’re getting into before signing your game away,” said Pirate Software.
Helldivers 2 recently revealed that they would enforce their policy requiring players to connect through a PlayStation Network account, which was put in place when the game first launched on February 8.
The PC community expressed upset over the idea of connecting through another platform, particularly since PSN isn’t available in multiple countries.
Players without a PSN account revealed that they would receive a ban from the game and would no longer be able to play. The developers outraged many community members by severing a large part of their player base through their partnership with PlayStation.
Within a few days, disgruntled users review-bombed the once beloved game on Steam, giving it an overall rating of “Overwhelmingly Negative.” The outrage even forced Steam to issue refunds for Helldivers 2 even if the player had spent over two hours in the game.
After seeing what happened with Helldivers 2, Pirate Software has now shared that he has the desire to start his own game publishing company.
“It’s long been a goal of mine to either start a publishing house for indies or start working with one that aligns with the goals I have. Situations like this just make me want to bump that higher up the queue,” said Pirate Software.
It is unknown whether Pirate Software will actually begin a publishing company, but he received support for the effort from fellow game designer Mutahar.
His decision may also be influenced by PlayStation’s recent decision to halt the launch of the May 6 update. At present, Helldivers 2 players on Steam will no longer require a PSN account to spread democracy.