Helldivers 2 Set for Historic Xbox Launch Tomorrow as First PlayStation Studios Title on Microsoft Console

With just hours remaining before its highly anticipated debut, Helldivers 2 is poised to make gaming history as the first PlayStation Studios-published title to launch on Xbox consoles. The cooperative third-person shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios will deploy to Xbox Series X|S tomorrow, August 26, 2025, at precisely 1am PDT / 4am EDT / 9am BST.

Final Preparations Complete as Xbox Players Prepare to Join Galactic War

As the countdown enters its final phase, Xbox players are making last-minute preparations to join the ongoing Galactic War against the forces threatening Super Earth. The timing couldn’t be more critical, as current Helldivers are facing what many consider an “absolutely absurd” Major Order that has the community hoping Xbox reinforcements can help turn the tide. Gaming content creators are already speculating about the impact of new Xbox players, with expectations ranging from conservative estimates of 15,000-25,000 additional players to more optimistic projections of 50,000-100,000 new Helldivers joining the ranks.

The Xbox port, developed in partnership with Nixxes Software, will feature full cross-platform play capabilities, allowing Xbox, PlayStation, and PC players to squad up together in the fight for managed democracy. However, cross-progression will not be supported, meaning players switching platforms will need to start their Helldiver careers from scratch.

Historic PlayStation-Xbox Collaboration Features Halo Crossover

Adding to the significance of tomorrow’s launch, Arrowhead Game Studios has confirmed a special “Helldivers 2 x Halo: ODST Legendary Warbond” will release simultaneously with the Xbox version. This unprecedented crossover brings Orbital Drop Shock Trooper equipment to the Helldivers universe, marking a unique collaboration between Sony and Microsoft’s flagship franchises. The crossover was teased earlier this month with a trailer featuring the iconic ODST arrival sequence and signature music from Bungie’s Halo 3: ODST.

The game will be available in two editions: the Standard Edition priced at $39.99 and the Super Citizen Edition at $59.99, with pre-orders having been available since July. Notably, despite arriving on Microsoft’s platform, Helldivers 2 will not be included in Xbox Game Pass, as officially confirmed by Arrowhead moderators who stated there are “no plans to bring it to Game Pass”.

Technical Performance and Community Expectations

Performance benchmarks indicate the Xbox Series X version will match PlayStation 5 capabilities, offering 60 FPS in Performance Mode and 4K resolution at 30 FPS in Quality Mode, while Xbox Series S targets 30 FPS gameplay. The unified player base across all platforms is expected to significantly boost the game’s active community, which currently maintains over 55,000 concurrent players weekly on Steam alone.

Tomorrow’s launch represents more than just a platform expansion for the satirical space combat game that has sold over 15 million copies since its February 2024 debut. As Game Director Mikael Eriksson stated, “We know gamers have been asking for this for some time and we are so excited to bring more Helldivers into our game. We have so much more in store for the future months and years - and the more players we have the more stories we can tell!”

With the release just hours away, Xbox players worldwide are preparing to answer Super Earth’s call to arms and join the largest unified gaming community the galaxy has ever seen in the ongoing fight for managed democracy, freedom, and liberty across hostile alien worlds.