Main Quest

Arrowhead Game Studios co-founder Emil Englund joins Main Quest for a deep dive into the philosophy that shaped Helldivers 2 and the studio behind it.

Emil traces Arrowhead's story back to the student project that brought its original founders together, then explains how years of experimentation eventually led to three ideas at the heart of the studio's games: believability, playfulness, and sociality.

That philosophy runs through almost everything players recognize about Helldivers 2. Emil explains why Arrowhead wants players creating their own cinematic moments instead of watching scripted ones, why cooperation is built directly into the game's systems, how tabletop role-playing influenced its approach to player freedom, and why the team once described its goal as “tricking” players into playing a military simulator.

The conversation also explores the origins of Helldivers' satire, Super Earth's unusual brand of optimism, the role the community plays inside the fantasy, Arrowhead's transition from a small studio into something much harder to categorize, and what Emil hopes the studio can bring to game design in the future.

Finally, Emil reflects on what Helldivers 2 became and offers a glimpse at the creative direction Arrowhead is currently exploring for what comes next.

For anyone fascinated by Helldivers 2, systemic game design, co-op shooters, game development, or the people responsible for the ideas underneath the games we play, this episode gets directly into the philosophy behind the fun.

What makes the chaos of Helldivers 2 actually work?

Niklas Malmborg, Design Director on Helldivers 2 at Arrowhead Game Studios, joins Main Quest for a deep dive into the philosophy behind one of gaming’s most distinctive co-op shooters.

Niklas traces his path from modding games like Quake III and obsessing over Deus Ex to joining Arrowhead and helping shape Helldivers. He explains the years of experimentation required to transform Helldivers from a top-down game into a third-person shooter, and why the team eventually settled on a philosophy of making the game feel “believable” rather than strictly realistic.

The conversation also gets into some of Helldivers 2’s most recognizable design choices: friendly fire, dangerous Stratagems, intentionally unpredictable systems, horizontal progression, cooperative player psychology, and even why the Gatling Sentry was changed because it worked a little too perfectly.

Niklas also opens up about balancing the game after its early Railgun meta, interpreting passionate community feedback, reading everything from YouTube to some of the harsher corners of Reddit, planning Warbonds far in advance, and deciding when a player suggestion is crazy enough to actually put into Helldivers 2.

Finally, we look toward the future and the larger fantasy Arrowhead wants Helldivers 2 to eventually deliver, from more varied worlds and environments to cities, colonies, civilians, vehicles, and an increasingly alive galactic war.

It is a conversation about game design, player psychology, creative risk, and why sometimes the most memorable systems are the ones that can spectacularly backfire.

00:00 - The Games That Shaped Niklas Malmborg
05:00 - From Modding Quake III to Arrowhead
09:00 - Turning Helldivers Into a Third-Person Shooter
12:00 - Why Helldivers 2 Is “Believable,” Not Realistic
18:45 - Designing Co-op Without Creating Toxicity
23:20 - Why the Gatling Sentry Is Supposed to Kill You
27:00 - How Arrowhead Fixed the Early Helldivers 2 Meta
32:20 - How Arrowhead Actually Uses Reddit Feedback
38:35 - Warbonds, the Minigun and Community Ideas
44:30 - Why Helldivers 2 Worked and Where It Could Go Next

Before Helldivers 2 found its iconic visual identity, Felix Fritzell redesigned the Helldiver six different times.

Felix, Art Director at Arrowhead Game Studios, joins Main Quest to explain how traditional art, character design, animation, gameplay, and years of experimentation came together to define the look of Helldivers 2.

He takes us inside the development of the Helldiver armor, Bile Titans, Devastators, Terminids, Automatons, and Illuminate. Felix also reveals why Arrowhead changed nearly the entire Illuminate faction shortly before its release, leaving only one major enemy concept largely intact.

The conversation explores the realities of creating art for a video game, including why artists must sometimes leave work less polished than they would prefer, how rough blocks become living enemies, and why nothing truly matters until it works inside the game.

Felix also shares how moving the camera farther away from the player transformed Helldivers 2, why Arrowhead looks to movies more often than other games for inspiration, and what it means to leave the Helldivers team behind to begin exploring the studio’s next project.

This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at the people, creative decisions, and artistic experimentation that helped turn Helldivers 2 into a modern gaming phenomenon.

00:00 - Felix Redesigned the Helldiver Six Times
01:02 - The Games That Inspired an Art Director
04:08 - Going From Traditional Art to Video Games
08:49 - How Helldivers 2 Characters Are Built
14:37 - Turning Helldivers Into a Third-Person Shooter
19:47 - The Camera Change That Fixed the Game
22:35 - Finding the Visual Style of Helldivers 2
26:12 - Why Helldiver Armor Actually Works
31:57 - Creating the Bile Titan and Devastators
38:26 - Why Arrowhead Rebuilt the Illuminate

The final discussion about Arrowhead’s next project begins around 43:08, but I would leave it out of the visible chapter list initially. “Why Arrowhead Rebuilt the Illuminate” creates a stronger final chapter and encourages viewers to continue watching for the unlisted discussion about the studio’s future.

Mikael Eriksson, Game Director of Helldivers 2, joins Main Quest for an in-depth conversation about Arrowhead’s creative process and the future of its evolving Galactic War.

Mikael explains how playing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time changed the direction of his life, how a failed attempt at becoming a professional musician led him toward concept art, and how his willingness to solve problems beyond his original role eventually helped him become the game director of Helldivers 2.

The conversation explores one of Arrowhead’s biggest creative risks: substantially rebuilding the Illuminate only months before Omen of Tyranny. Mikael describes why the original “space wizard” direction lacked a clear fantasy, how alien-invasion movies inspired the final faction, and why the Voteless became a dark reflection of Super Earth.

He also shares how Twitch Plays Pokémon helped inspire Helldivers 2’s community-driven Galactic War, why Malevelon Creek belonged to the players rather than Arrowhead, and how future updates could make major orders, campaign history, and player consequences easier to understand.

Finally, Mikael discusses Arrowhead’s 10-year ambition for Helldivers 2, the team’s “fantasy first” development philosophy, and the larger-scale battles the game has not yet been able to deliver.

This is a rare behind-the-scenes look at how Arrowhead is building Helldivers 2 as a living experience shaped by its developers and community together.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Zelda Changed Mikael Eriksson’s Life03:03 - From Failed Musician to Concept Artist07:49 - How Helldivers 2 Concept Art Becomes Gameplay14:34 - Becoming the Game Director of Helldivers 219:06 - How Arrowhead Plans Helldivers 2’s Future23:07 - The Illuminate Were Remade Before Release31:03 - The Rule Behind Every Great Helldivers Update33:08 - How Twitch Plays Pokémon Inspired the Galactic War39:13 - Malevelon Creek Was Created by the Community41:10 - Major Orders Are Getting More Meaningful48:01 - Arrowhead’s 10-Year Vision for Helldivers 251:02 - The War Fantasies Helldivers 2 Hasn’t Reached Yet57:00 - Why Helldivers 2 Events Cannot Be Replayed

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#Helldivers2 #Arrowhead #GamingPodcast

Composer Will Roget joins Main Quest for a deep dive into the music of Helldivers 2, the power of player-focused composition, and the craft behind some of the most memorable game scores of the last decade.

Will shares how Final Fantasy VII pushed him toward video game music, how MIDI transcription helped him learn composition, and how working at LucasArts shaped the way he thinks like a game developer instead of only a musician. The conversation moves from Star Wars and Call of Duty: WWII into the heart of Helldivers 2, where Will explains how the game’s score turns every mission into a full emotional arc.

This episode breaks down the Helldivers 2 theme, the role of 5/4 time, the impact of triplets, the difference between cinematic and interactive music, and why the soundtrack makes players feel like they are part of Super Earth’s war effort. Will also talks about new music for Helldivers 2: Into the Unjust and what the underground missions could mean for the game’s sound.

A must-listen for Helldivers fans, game music nerds, Star Wars fans, composers, and anyone curious about how video game soundtracks are really made.

Chapters

00:00 - Will Roget Joins Main Quest02:52 - Final Fantasy VII Sparked His Composer Journey06:00 - How MIDI Transcription Taught Him Game Music13:10 - His First Star Wars Work at LucasArts20:00 - Why Star Wars Music Is So Rich25:30 - Scoring Film vs Scoring Video Games29:20 - How Game Music Stems Actually Work38:30 - Writing Music for the Player First41:20 - The Story Behind the Helldivers 2 Theme51:35 - Building the Super Democratic Super Crescendo01:04:00 - Music for Helldivers 2: Into the Unjust

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Russ Nickel helped shape the voice, humor, and lore of Helldivers 2, one of the most surprising co-op shooter hits in recent memory.

In this episode of Main Quest, Russ joins Eddy Barco to talk about writing for Super Earth, building the tone of Helldivers 2, creating ship characters, expanding the game’s lore, and helping develop the hilarious propaganda machine that made players instantly understand what kind of universe they had joined.

The conversation goes deep into the craft of video game writing. Russ explains how the team approached dialogue, voiceover, mission clarity, player roleplay, and comedy in a game where the story often lives inside systems, ship chatter, loading tips, tutorials, and the chaos of four players trying not to kill each other.

He also shares the story behind the Helldivers 2 tutorial, the creation of General Brash, the writing that never made it into the final game, and why leaving just enough mystery gave fans room to build their own Super Earth theories.

Later, Russ talks about his own writing journey, from short stories and indie film to Geomon and his new narrative tactical RPG comedy, Ledgerbound.

Russ is now building new worlds through Omni Mega Super Corp. Check them out here: https://omnimegasupercorp.com/

A must-listen for Helldivers 2 fans, game writers, co-op shooter fans, and anyone curious how a game’s personality is built from the inside out.

In this episode of Main Quest, Eddy sits down with Jeremy Cook, a veteran art director and concept artist whose career has crossed some of the biggest worlds in entertainment, including Star Wars, Halo, Doom, Quake, Blizzard, Blur Studio, and Exodus.

The conversation explores how great game art works when players are not thinking about it. Jeremy breaks down the difference between designing for film and designing for games, why believable sci-fi needs both function and style, and how artists guide players through worlds using shape, lighting, detail, readability, and restraint.

From designing Jedi Temple interiors for Star Wars: Episode III to explaining why Helldivers 2 feels so immediately satisfying, Jeremy offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the decisions that make fictional worlds feel real. The episode also digs into Helldivers 2’s visual DNA, its connections to Halo, Star Wars, Warhammer 40K, and Starship Troopers, and why Arrowhead’s simple sandbox of tools, enemies, and problems keeps creating unforgettable moments.

For fans of Helldivers 2, Halo, Star Wars, Doom, sci-fi art, game development, and the hidden craft behind modern games, this is one of the most insightful Main Quest conversations yet.

00:00 - Designing Star Wars Tech for Ewan McGregor
02:10 - Meet Jeremy Cook
06:45 - Blur Studio, Tim Miller, and the Big Break
14:00 - Why Great Art Should Hide the Tools
18:00 - How Spaceships Become Believable
29:00 - Building Jedi Temple Interiors for Star Wars
34:00 - Why Games Are Harder Than Film
38:00 - High Poly, Low Poly, and the Magic Trick of Game Assets
48:00 - Does Art Create Escapism in Games?
52:00 - Why Helldivers 2 Feels Like Halo, Star Wars, and 40K
57:00 - Breaking Down the Automaton Designs
01:01:00 - Why Helldivers 2 Feels Fresh Every Mission
01:08:00 - Jeremy Cook’s New Sci-Fi RPG, Exodus
01:15:00 - Why Game Developers Need to Play Games

Helldivers 2 became one of gaming’s biggest surprises because players did not just play it. They turned it into a culture.

* Note: This interview was filmed in 2025, so some information may have changed since recording.

In this episode of Main Quest, Eddy sits down with Colebrew, a Helldivers 2 content creator and meme maker, to explore how Arrowhead’s co-op shooter became a community-driven phenomenon. The conversation digs into the memes, roleplay, friendly fire, Super Earth propaganda, and unpredictable “cinematic chaos” that made the game feel different from so many modern live service shooters.

Colebrew shares how Helldivers 2 helped his content take off, why the game feels like a throwback to playing Left 4 Dead or Call of Duty Zombies with friends, and how the community helped shape the game’s identity through jokes like “face the wall,” John Helldiver, and endless Super Earth roleplay.

The episode also opens up into a bigger conversation about modern gaming, including monetization, IP crossovers, the Xbox players joining the fight, the 60-day patch, boss battles, ODST-style armor, and why players are responding so strongly to games that feel fun, chaotic, and authentic.

Chapters:

00:00 - The Most Chaotic Helldivers 2 Extraction01:15 - How Colebrew Became a Helldivers 2 Meme Creator03:20 - Why Helldivers 2 Feels Like Playing With the Boys Again05:42 - Cinematic Chaos and the Meme Culture Behind Helldivers 207:25 - Face the Wall, John Helldiver, and Super Earth Roleplay10:25 - Crossovers, and Avoiding the Fortnite Problem16:05 - Monetization, Horse Armor, and Why Helldivers 2 Feels Fair22:00 - The 60-Day Patch That Changed Helldivers 233:20 - Why Smaller Games Are Winning Players Back44:20 - Colebrew’s Theory About Helldivers and Clones53:00 - One of the Funniest Failed Extractions Yet

Craig Lee Thomas aka John Helldiver, goes behind the scenes of Helldivers 2 with us here at Main Quest. How did he land the role? What’s Arrowhead Studios really like? Is Super Earth just a bunch of dumb propaganda? On this podcast we’ll cover it all: voice acting, character creation, comedy, game development, fan moments, and the much more behind one of the most iconic characters in recent gaming history.

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Voice Acting Pain: Fire, Death Screams, and Molotovs

03:23 - Craig’s First Video Game Voice Acting Job

07:05 - Dying, Screaming, and Fighting in Video Games

13:03 - Craig’s Childhood as an Actor

21:41 - Becoming the Super Earth Spokesperson

23:02 - The Helldivers 2 Mocap and Face Scan Process

25:37 - Creating the Voice of John Helldiver

27:38 - How John Helldiver Became Bigger Than Expected

32:09 - Visiting Arrowhead for the Anniversary Party

38:12 - Playing Helldivers 2 with John Helldiver

45:24 - Extraction Chaos with John Helldiver

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What does it actually take to build a global hit game?

In Episode 1 of Main Quest, we sit down with Evan Nickel, producer of Helldivers 2, to break down the real story behind one of the most explosive launches in modern gaming.

From early development challenges to scaling a live service experience for millions of players, Evan shares what goes on behind the scenes at a studio level, what surprised the team most after launch, and how Helldivers 2 evolved into a cultural phenomenon.

We also dive into:

• How large-scale co-op games are built and maintained

• The biggest production challenges studios face today

• What players don’t see behind live service updates

• Lessons from Helldivers 2’s massive success

If you’ve ever wondered how great games are actually made, this is where the story begins.

🎧 Welcome to Main Quest - a show that explores the magic behind video games.