Pilestedt says Arrowhead could make a quirky game parodying generative AI
Arrowhead's chief creative officer said the concept would be a new title rather than a Helldivers game, with players stuck under an AI overlord.
Johan Pilestedt, chief creative officer at Arrowhead, said he can imagine the studio making a game that satirises generative AI, according to rockpapershotgun.com. He described the framing as quirky and fun rather than doom-laden.
Pilestedt said the concept would involve being stuck in a world with an AI overlord treated as a deity. He added that parodying AI has been a viable subject since the 1980s.
Any such project would be a new title rather than a Helldivers game, he said, because the Automatons already fill Helldivers 2's robot enemy role. The Automatons are a spoof of Soviet Russia imagery rather than a commentary on generative AI, and are based on the secessionist planet Cyberstan, led by Cyborgs seeking revenge for Super Earth's efforts to euthanise them.
Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani told The Game Business in an interview last year that debate over AI in the games industry sits at both extremes and that reality may lie somewhere in the middle. He compared fears about generative AI to less anxious reactions to older automation middleware such as Simplygon.
Pilestedt has also said Arrowhead's current unannounced project is not Helldivers 3, because the studio does not want to reset Helldivers 2's momentum.
Quick answers
Is Arrowhead making a game about generative AI?
No such game has been announced. Johan Pilestedt said he can imagine the studio making one, and that it would be a new title rather than a Helldivers game.
Would the AI satire game be part of Helldivers?
No. Pilestedt said it would be a separate title, because the Automatons already fill Helldivers 2's robot enemy role.
What tone would the game take?
Pilestedt described the framing as quirky and fun rather than doom-laden, with players stuck in a world where an AI overlord is treated as a deity.