The new trailer for Helldivers 2, promoting its upcoming launch on Xbox, contained a scene that caught the attention of eagle-eyed Halo enthusiasts. Continue reading for details on the release and the potential crossover with Halo!
Helldivers 2 Xbox Launch Trailer Hides a Halo Nod
PlayStation to "Bring the Boom" to Xbox on August 26
Helldivers 2 recently debuted a fresh trailer for the PlayStation exclusive's upcoming Xbox release, and sharp-eyed fans spotted a clever Halo reference tucked into the final moments.
The trailer primarily showcased a familiar blend of cinematic in-engine footage and explosive gameplay, concluding with what appeared to be a standard splash screen displaying the release date and pre-order prompt.
In an abrupt change of tone, the last few seconds hold on a still shot of a desolate Super Earth as a single Hellpod touches down on a street. Here, the pod's signature "Boom" is replaced by a melancholic saxophone melody instantly familiar to dedicated Halo fans: "Rain" from Halo 3: ODST.
Notably, the 2009 release was the first game in the franchise where players took on the role of "regular" space marines, much like the Helldivers, rather than Xbox's legendary Master Chief. Among the iconic series' many entries, ODST shares the most similarities with Helldivers—so much so that fans had been drawing parallels and speculating about a crossover long before this trailer arrived.
While several first-party Xbox titles have already migrated to Sony's platforms, this cooperative extraction shooter will be the very first PlayStation exclusive to make the journey to Xbox. Moreover, if this collaboration materializes, it will represent a significant milestone, marking the first true collaboration between these historically rival gaming companies.
The only other PlayStation title previously published on Xbox was 2021's MLB The Show, but that was a unique case driven by Major League Baseball's decision to expand its audience across platforms. MLB Advanced Media even had to co-publish the title for its Xbox release, despite its original distribution by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
This isn't the first instance of Xbox and PlayStation icons meeting, however. Epic Games' Fall Guys once featured Ratchet & Clank alongside Halo's Master Chief, while Fortnite saw the Spartan hero share the spotlight with God of War's Kratos. Microsoft's Sea of Thieves also collaborated with Destiny 2 earlier this year, though that Bungie title was already on Xbox well before Sony acquired the studio.
With Sony consistently porting its exclusives to PC and Microsoft continuously redefining its strategy to bridge gaming ecosystems, this latest development feels like another step toward the gradual, long-awaited end of the decades-old console war between the two giants. Now, the only thing left is for Nintendo to join the fray.
Helldivers 2 launches on Xbox Series X|S on August 26, 2025. For more information on Helldivers 2, click the button below!
