From dropping 500kg bombs to carving through the thick body of a Bile Titan, Helldivers 2 isn’t exactly known for its subtlety. Arrowhead and its community very much relish the opportunity to make something explode in extraordinary fashion. However, if you’re dedicated, you can actually play the PS5 console exclusive as if you were the one and only Solid Snake himself. In fact, Arrowhead CEO and Helldivers 2 creative director Johan Pilestedt has revealed that there was more content in earlier builds of the game that would let you do just that.
Responding to a Helldivers 2 fan sharing a clip of them playing (remarkably) stealthily, Pilestedt explains that he “used to rock subsonic ammo and suppressor and [play stealthily] quite a bit during playtests.” If you’ve played the hottest new PS5 game, then you’ll no doubt realize that these items aren’t currently available. Although you certainly can play stealthily by crawling, punching weaker targets, or shooting all the enemies before they have time to detect you, there aren’t any dedicated stealth options right now.
Pilestedt’s cryptic post suggests that, at least during development, more stealth-focused tools were available. Given the nature of the options they mention, it’s possible that these were included in the weapon modification options, accessed by holding the reload button while in-game. Although ammo and barrel modifications like the ones Pilestedt mentioned aren’t currently available, there’s a chance they could be added in the future. After all, there’s evidently a lot of exciting content to look forward to in what is arguably the best PS5 game right now. In fact, Helldivers 2 vehicles and other unused Stratagems have recently been uncovered in the co-op game’s files. Again, these aren’t exactly furthering a stealthy playstyle but you could have an even larger selection of toys once the unique Helldivers 2 story enters its next stage.
Nevertheless, if you want to become Solid Snake in Helldivers, then you’ll have to settle for punching and blasting your foes before they even realize you’re there. With how challenging the game can be, especially solo, it’s not a bad idea even with the limited options available to you.
Thankfully, with the server issues now largely resolved, eager Helldivers can finally get into the fun – and the developers are more free to work on future additions – or maybe even Pilestedt’s dream future game, if we’re lucky. So, while we wait for Helldivers 2 merch to become a reality, get out there and fight for Super Earth.