Helldivers 2 split-screen co-op is “technically feasible,” says CEO — 8-player mode would be “cool but messy”

Helldivers 2 is on a roll and shows no signs of slowing down. The game just landed on Xbox, received a Halo crossover, and is enjoying its strongest surge in months.

It's even being spotlighted on Xbox's Twitter (now X) profile, while PlayStation highlights Gears of War.

Amid all this momentum, Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani has hinted that couch co-op could be possible in the future. He explained that split-screen is "technically feasible," thought the reality is a little more complicated — and while an 8-player mode might be possible, Jorjani admitted it could be too messy.

Helldivers 2’s surge continues after Xbox release

Thanks in part to its release on Xbox Series X|S on August 26, 2025, Helldivers 2 has seen a huge surge in players. In-game player counts showed it pushing into the 500,000 range, with an Arrowhead developer confirming the game peaked at over 500,000 — numbers the game hasn’t reached since its launch in 2024.

As much as the Halo fan in me would I’d love to call this the Halo effect, thanks to the crossover Warbond, it’s likely tied to the Xbox debut and renewed interest on PC. The demand was so high that servers even struggled to keep up, causing temporary issues as players rushed in to spread democracy.

It’s also been encouraging to see the community rally around the influx of new Xbox players. Many veterans have stepped up to help newcomers, proving just how small the corners of Twitter (now X), Reddit and Facebook can be. As a few salty fans attempted to rally players to gatekeep and kill Xbox players, in an effort to voice their concerns over Sony releasing titles on Xbox.

CEO says split-screen is “technically feasible” and 8 players is also “technically possible”

Originally spotted by Gamerant and later reported on by Inside Gaming, Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani was asked in the official Helldivers 2 Discord whether split-screen could be possible. He replied, “It's technically feasible, but I have no idea if it's a feature ppl really want? It's on our ‘to investigate" list’”

As someone who grew up on games like Halo, which thrived on couch co-op back in the day, I’d love to see the feature arrive in Helldivers 2. Even if it relied on an invisible tether to stop players from straying too far from one and other, split-screen would be a welcome addition.

In another Discord reply, Jorjani also mentioned that “8 players is technically very challenging, but it would be cool and messy.” It’s a glimpse into the kinds of features Arrowhead might be considering. Four-player co-op already creates plenty of chaos, but an 8-player option could push that mayhem even further.

If I’m venturing into wish-list territory, I’d also love to see a fully realized first-person mode. This comes purely from being able to go first-person with my MA5C Assault Rifle in my hand, and the idea of charging into battle with that Assault Rifle from Halo in true first-person chaos is something that would take Helldivers 2 to another level for me.

Community requests vs developer priorities

While features like split-screen and an 8-player mode sound exciting on paper, Arrowhead already has its hands full with regular updates. The next one arrives on September 2, 2025, adding caves and other content to the game. With Jorjani describing these ideas as technically feasible but also highly challenging, it raises the question whether the development time might be better spent elsewhere.

I’d love to know what the community thinks. Would you prefer split-screen, 8-player chaos, or something entirely different? For me, I’ll keep crossing my fingers for a first-person mode. Until then, I’ll be jumping back in with my squid to keep spreading glorious democracy in Helldivers 2 on Xbox.