Helldivers 2 creative director Johan Pilestedt has announced he is taking a well-deserved sabbatical leave. Upon his return, he will shift his focus to Arrowhead's next project.

In a heartfelt tweet, Pilestedt reflected on his 11-year journey with the Helldivers franchise, which began with the original game in 2013 and continued with Helldivers 2 from early 2016. He acknowledged the toll it had taken on his personal life, stating, "Eleven years of working around the clock on the same IP has made me set aside family, friends, and my lovely wife... and myself. I am going to take some time now to redeem what was lost from all of those that supported me for over a decade."

Pilestedt expressed confidence in Arrowhead's team to continue delivering exceptional content for Helldivers 2 during his absence. He plans to start working on the studio's next game once he returns.

The announcement comes after Helldivers 2's phenomenal launch in February 2024, which saw it become PlayStation Studios' fastest-selling game ever, selling 12 million copies in just 12 weeks. The game's success has led Sony to greenlight a movie adaptation.

Pilestedt, who became a prominent figure in the Helldivers 2 community, engaged actively with fans on social media, Reddit, and Discord. However, he also highlighted the downside of the game's success, noting an unprecedented increase in community toxicity and threats directed at the studio's staff.

Before Helldivers 2's release, Arrowhead had already made a name for itself with the first Helldivers and Magicka. The sequel's launch, however, brought new challenges, including server issues and backlash over various game elements, such as weapon balance and Premium Warbonds. The most significant controversy arose from Sony's attempt to mandate PC players link their accounts to PlayStation Network, a decision that was later reversed amid widespread criticism and review-bombing on Steam.

In response to these challenges, Pilestedt transitioned from CEO to chief creative officer at Arrowhead to focus more on the studio's games and community. Shams Jorjani, formerly of Paradox and publisher of Magicka, took over as CEO.

While details about Arrowhead's next game remain under wraps, Helldivers 2 continues to receive updates, with the recent introduction of the third enemy faction, the Illuminate, revitalizing the game's appeal.