(Image credit: PlayStation)
Johan Pilestedt, the director of Helldivers 2, believes game developers are overly preoccupied with balance, potentially at the cost of making games enjoyable.
Balance frequently dominates discussions around live-service games. Titles such as Diablo 4, Marvel Rivals, and Overwatch regularly issue patches primarily for nerfs and buffs, aiming for fairness for all players.
However, Pilestedt suggests that obsessing over a perfectly balanced game is chasing an illusion, recommending it should only occupy a small fraction of development time. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference 2025, attended by GamesRadar+, Pilestedt advocated for a focus on intriguing game design over frequent balance updates.
He remarked, “Balance is a myth. Fun first, balance later. Game designers today are consumed by balance. But it’s just 5% of the work required. It’s the final polish in game design. If you prioritize balance as your path to success, you’re misguided.”
He emphasized, “Balancing is not game design. Game design is about the experience. If you balance out all the chaos, you’ve made an uninteresting game. Balance is the polishing stage, and if you smooth it out excessively, it becomes a non-experience.”
Despite these bold statements, Helldivers 2 faces its own challenges in striking a balance between chaos and enjoyment since its release. Weekly digests continue to highlight insights and community stories.
Game director Michael Eriksson shared with GamesRadar+ in December that the game’s journey post-launch has been a “rollercoaster” that Arrowhead still feels “privileged” to experience.
Pilstedt has also pointed to the game’s numerous balance patches as stemming from “a leadership issue more than anything.” Interestingly, despite two attempts at fixing it, Helldivers 2 still includes a quirky bug that lets players slide like a snake, described as “even more hilarious” after the latest update.