Helldivers 2 isn’t on Xbox, but these Game Pass titles can help fill the void

21.02.2024 - 12:31 / digitaltrends.com / Phil Spencer / Tomas Franzese

Helldivers 2 is a PlayStation console exclusive, so it’s not available on Xbox Series X or S. Not only has Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer voiced his disappointment in this, but so have many Helldivers 2 players, who are asking for more backup in the fight against the Terminids and Automatons.

If you don’t own a PS5 or a good enough gaming PC to run Helldivers 2, you might be feeling a bit left out. But if you’re in the mood for a sci-fi or co-op game, there are plenty of entertaining alternate options available on Xbox Game Pass. While Xbox players can’t yet die for Super Earth, they can still have a great time fighting and dying in any of these Xbox Game Pass games that are playable on console.

Deep Rock Galactic

If you specifically want another sci-fi co-op game, there are a couple of different options for you on Xbox Game Pass. First, we have Deep Rock Galactic, a co-op shooter about space dwarves who mine resources. In it, you go on missions to caves, gather resources and complete objectives, and then fight to extract with all your gathered resources. While it’s a bit different fromHelldivers 2 with its first-person perspective and emphasis on mining, its core gameplay loop actually isn’t too far off from that game. It can offer you plenty of nail-biting emergent moments that you and your friends will be talking about weeks after the fact, which is a hallmark of a fantastic co-op game.

Gears 5

Helldivers 2 finally gives PlayStation a console-exclusive answer to Xbox’s Gears of War, its flagship co-op third-person shooter franchise. Obviously, that also means that playing Gears 5 is a good Xbox Game Pass alternative. If you’re missing the single-player or narrative element from Helldivers 2, Gears 5 features a full campaign that will definitely scratch that itch. And if some co-op action is all you want, The Coalition’s game has a cooperative horde mode, as well as Escape, a mission-based mode more similar to the experience that Helldivers 2 provides. If Sony plans to never bring Helldivers 2 to Xbox, then it’s smart for Xbox players to show Microsoft we want more of the closest first-party franchise to Helldivers that it can offer.

Remnant II

A sleeper hit from 2023, Remnant II is the co-op shooter to play if you enjoy the brutally difficult nature of Helldivers 2. It’s a looter shooter that finds a way to incorporate Soulslike elements into its gunplay. Like Helldivers 2 on harder difficulties, Remnant II can be crushingly difficult sometimes, but that makes success all the more satisfying. Its roguelike setup and procedural generation systems also mean each person’s campaign is different, adding to Remnant II’s replay factor and enabling some really memorable moments in co-op. Remnant II also