Helldivers 2 Devs on Elden Ring DLC: "It's Hard"

Following the release of Elden Ring's highly anticipated expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, a wave of online discussion erupted, with players of all skill levels voicing concerns about its challenging difficulty. Criticism largely centered on the perceived overtuning of the new bosses. Johan Pilestedt, CCO of Arrowhead Game Studios (developers of Helldivers 2), recently shared his perspective on FromSoftware's design philosophy.

In a Twitter post, Pilestedt, also the creative director of Helldivers 2, echoed streamer Rurikhan's view that FromSoftware intentionally crafts challenging boss encounters to heighten player engagement. He emphasized that impactful game design prioritizes evoking strong emotional responses. Addressing concerns that this approach limits the game's audience, Pilestedt succinctly stated, "a game for everyone is a game for no one," advocating for developers to remain true to their target audience.

Helldivers 2 Developer's Take on Elden Ring DLC Difficulty

Prior to the DLC's launch, Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki cautioned players, even veterans, to expect a significant challenge. He explained that Shadow of the Erdtree's boss balancing assumed players had substantial progress in the base game. FromSoftware also meticulously analyzed player feedback from the main game, identifying enjoyable and frustrating elements in boss encounters to inform the DLC's design.

Shadow of the Erdtree introduced the Scadutree Blessing mechanic, boosting player damage and reducing incoming damage in the Land of Shadow. Despite in-game explanations, many players apparently overlooked or forgot this, prompting Bandai Namco to remind players to utilize and level up this crucial mechanic amidst the difficulty complaints.

While Shadow of the Erdtree achieved the highest rating of any video game DLC on OpenCritic, surpassing even The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's Blood and Wine, its reception on Steam has been more divisive. Negative reviews frequently cited both the elevated difficulty and newly introduced technical issues.