Helldivers 2 Becomes Fastest Selling PlayStation Title as PS5 Sales Hit 59.2 Million Units

Helldivers 2 far “exceeded the expectations” at Sony, selling 12 million units in first 12 weeks since release, the PlayStation parent said in its earnings call Tuesday. The live service shooter is now PlayStation's fastest-selling title of all time, surpassing the record set by God of War Ragnarok in the same period after its November 2022 launch. Sony also revealed that cumulative unit sales of PS5 reached 59.2 million after the company sold 20.8 million PS5 units in fiscal year 2023.

Sony said that the Helldivers 2 sales number includes copies sold on both PlayStation 5 and PC. The online co-op shooter from Arrowhead Games Studios became a surprise hit when it launched February 8 on both PS5 and PC. At its earnings call, the Japanese electronics giant confirmed that Helldivers 2 had sold 12 million copies as of May 5, 2024, becoming the most successful PlayStation game launch of all time. The record was previously held by Santa Monica Studio's God of War Ragnarok, which sold 11 million copies in the first 10 weeks after its release.

PS5 unit sales hit a record 20.8 million in FY 2023 ended March 31, 2024, just shy of Sony's revised target of 21 million for the year. The PS5 has now sold 59.2 million units since its launch in November 2020, just trailing the PS4's 60 million units sold in the same period after release. The PlayStation parent, however, expects PS5 sales to decline, forecasting the console to sell approximately 18 million units in FY 2024.

In light of the success of Helldivers 2, the company said it was looking forward to the launch of live service titles like Destiny 2: The Final Shape and Concord in 2024. Sony also reiterated that it expected PS5 sales to gradually decline as the console enters the second half of its life cycle. The number of active PlayStation Network (PSN) users also dropped to 118 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, down from 123 million at the end of the third quarter. PS Plus subscriber numbers, however, grew to 47.4 million, up from 46.4 million at the end of the third quarter.

Helldivers 2 has become a phenomenon since its simultaneous launch on PS5 and PC. The live service title remains one of the most played games on Steam months after launch, with developer Arrowhead Game Studios regularly releasing new content and updates. The game, however, has had some obstacles on its way to success. Just last week, Sony walked back on its decision that made it compulsory for PC players to link their PSN account to Steam to continue playing the game. Sony's reversal came after widespread backlash from players, who bombarded Helldivers 2 with negative reviews on Steam to express their displeasure.