Helldivers

CHALLENGE

The challenge with Helldivers 2 was in raising awareness and driving sales for a game that, despite having a dedicated niche following, remained relatively unknown to the broader audience. Complicating matters further was the fact that the original Helldivers game was released as far back as 2015.

STRATEGY

Helldivers, developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, stands apart as a third-person shooter. Unlike competitive titles like Call of Duty and Destiny, Helldivers 2 is strictly cooperative in nature. As a result, our media efforts—both organic and paid—centered around lighthearted creatives emphasizing collaboration for “the greater good” and humor.

Our paid media strategy encompassed a broad array of awareness display tactics ahead of the game’s release to generate excitement and anticipation. Subsequently, our focus shifted towards consideration and driving sales during the launch and post-launch phases.

EXECUTION

15% of our investment was allocated to pre-order activities, 60% to the launch phase, and 25% to post-launch initiatives. Approximately half of this budget was dedicated to social platforms, specifically Meta and TikTok, which I managed and executed.

One notable achievement for our team was the activation of TikTok TopView in select markets. TopView is a high-impact, full-screen video ad format ranging from 5 to 60 seconds, designed to showcase a brand upon first opening the app. It starts with a 3-second video takeover before seamlessly blending into the native in-feed video experience. By running this ad on the launch day of Helldivers, we ensured maximum visibility during an anticipated release.

RESULTS

• Internally, we set a sales goal of approximately 300,000 units for Helldivers 2. However, the game exceeded all expectations by selling over 1 million units within the first four days of release.
• By 24 February 2024, the game was estimated to have sold over 3 million units and became the most actively played game on the PlayStation Network, surpassing Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Fortnite.
• By 15 March 2024, Helldivers 2 was estimated to have sold 8 million units and reached 450,000 concurrent players on Steam.
• Upon its release, the game experienced a significant influx of players, resulting in widespread server and login issues during the first two weeks. Though not great news, it does speak to the unexpected surge in popularity of the game.