Xbox Series X|S players won't be waiting much longer to help spread democracy across the galaxy, and when that mission arrives, it looks like it's bringing a familiar setting as a crossover event.
There's a new trailer for Arrowhead Game Studios' Helldivers 2, with the bombastic visuals celebrating the upcoming Xbox launch for the PlayStation Studios-published co-op shooter. Toward the end of the trailer, the environment suddenly shifts to a dark, rainy city, while a few familiar jazz notes play...
That's right: It sure seems to be teasing a crossover with Halo 3: ODST. While there isn't technically an outright confirmation here, the combination of a moody downpour and those music notes is pretty unquestionable, especially in the greater context of a trailer celebrating the game's arrival on Xbox.
A Helldivers-Halo: ODST crossover is perfect
Halo 3: ODST launched in 2009, developed by Bungie as a spinoff game in the iconic Halo franchise. The game is set during Halo 2, telling the story of a group of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODSTs) and their fight against the alien Covenant in the city of New Mombasa as their mission suddenly changes course.
Halo 3: ODST is often considered something of a fan-favorite, with a lot of love for the unique tone and characters it has compared to other games.
A huge part of that is the noir-esque setting; rain is constantly falling at night, and the game uses an extraordinarily distinct jazz-influenced soundtrack that was co-composed by Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori.
ODSTs (sometimes referred to as Helljumpers) naturally bear an enormous amount of aesthetic similarity to Helldivers, and players like myself have been asking for this kind of crossover event since Helldivers 2 first launched.
Now, with Xbox and PlayStation increasingly open with each other, it seems like it's happening. It's worth noting this is actually the second crossover Helldivers 2 has had with another franchise, with the studio previously bringing in cosmetics and weapons from the PlayStation-owned Killzone series.
I'm curious just how far this crossover will go. The iconic armor and silenced submachine guns and pistols are a must, obviously, but could we get a Warthog skin for the FRV? What about Covenant-themed equipment? The possibilities are super-exciting.
Helldivers 2 is slated to launch on Xbox Series X|S on Aug. 26, 2025. It's already available on Windows PC (Steam) and PlayStation 5, and will support full cross-play across all three platforms.
Xbox and PlayStation are slowly getting more comfortable with each other
It really can't be overstated how weird (complimentary) these events are compared to just a couple of years ago.
Xbox may have been first to bring some of its games like Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 5 to PlayStation, but now the Sony-owned platform is returning the favor. I'm curious just what'll end up being next. God of War or Horizon Zero Dawn on Xbox? It's no longer unthinkable.
If you have a franchise or two you'd particularly like to see make the jump, be sure to go vote in our poll.
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