The launch of shooter sequel Helldivers 2 is said to be imminent, as the ESRB gives the game a Mature 17+ rating.
Third-person shooter sequel Helldivers 2 could be readying for launch, as the game’s rating has been published on the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website. Citing “blood and gore, intense violence,” the board has given the shooter a Mature 17+ rating (thanks, Eurogamer).
Announced during May’s PlayStation Showcase, Helldivers 2 is due out in 2023 – and with only five months of the year left, it makes sense that its launch shouldn’t be too far away. According to Insider Gaming, though, Helldivers 2 could come out in October – a detail that is said to have emerged during a “Sony partnership program mission briefing”, and leaked to the outlet via an anonymous source.
If true, October is a curious choice of release window, given just how busy the month already is. Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Bros Wonder are just a few of the titles scheduled to launch that month. In other words, some of the biggest games of 2023 are all out in October, and Helldivers 2 will have to somehow compete with all of them for players’ attention.
The original Helldivers, released in 2015, was a well-received top-down tactical shooter with a broad streak of dystopian militarism seemingly inspired by Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers. The sequel switches to an over-the-shoulder perspective, ups the action, but keeps the tactics and cooperative gameplay – not to mention the violent, gooey bug-smashing.
For the curious, here’s the ESRB’s description in full:
“This is an action game in which players assume the role of soldiers attempting to win an intergalactic war. From a third-person perspective, players use pistols, assault rifles, sniper rifles, flamethrowers, turrets, grenades, and rocket launchers to shoot and kill enemies (e.g., robots, cyborgs, giant insects). Combat is accompanied by realistic gunfire, cries of pain, and blood-splatter effects; some areas of the battlefield depict bloodstains and dismembered corpses. Players can continue to attack defeated enemies, causing additional blood-splatter effects and dismemberment. Players can also shoot and kill human civilians during rescue missions.”
Helldivers 2 is due for release on PC and PS5 in 2023 – perhaps in October? We’ll update you as we learn more.
