Helldivers 2

Game: Helldivers 2
Job Title: Lead Level Designer
Studio Project at Arrowhead Studios
Engine: Proprietary / Non Standard
Release Date: 8 februari 2024
AWARDS WON INCLUDE:
The Game Awards 2024:
  • Best Ongoing Game
  • Best Multiplayer Game
Golden Joystick Awards 2024:
  • Best Multiplayer Game
  • Console Game of the Year
  • Critics Choice Awards
The Steam Awards 2024:
  • Better with Friends
BAFTA 2025:
  • Best Multiplayer Game
Helldivers 2 is a co-op extraction shooter. Four players crash-land unto a procedurally generated battlefield, resolve their objectives and extract. The player is given orbital cannons, friendly fire is on, reinforcements are always ready.

Kill the bugs, wipe out the bots.

Modular Kit Design:
When the opportunity arose I spearheaded the development of several modular kits to enable the level design team to work more effectively.

I built mock-ups, tested them thoroughly, reviewed them with other designers and disciplines and would support the artists responsible for creating them directly.

These kits focused on creating more vertical environments to allow the team to create different experiences, with lessons learned from my time using Bethesda's modular kits to make them kitbash-friendly for even wilder applications.
Helldivers 2 Gameplay Trailer
Levels:
I also mocked up what could be a few hundred locations, a selection of which were taken into production. These were made either by quickly sketching a series of potential locations while in trains unto a tablet or by speedbuilding mock-ups in 4 minute sessions per site.

Sketches would often result in more intricate designs, but took longer to make and develop. The best were taken into production, either by myself or another Level Designer if they wanted to claim a design.

Major Challenges:
To make better levels, several challenges had to be overcome:
  • What makes fighting bugs different from bots, how do we emphasize the difference and create environments which plays to their respective strengths and weaknesses?
  • And how to create strong level design which can be approached from any direction.
The research into faction differences was first delegated to Simon Sundström. His findings were discussed, prototypes were made, and solutions were codified. How to make an environment approachable from all directions and still fun was a more organic process which involved all designers.
Managing a team:
When I joined the Level Design Team had been without a dedicated Lead or Senior for a prolonged period of time.
To improve and maintain the quality of our work I organised review sessions in which the team could share suggestions, process feedback for levels, and share new discoveries.

To improve the working environment for the team I created batch-programs to simplify daily processes and make obscure executables more accessible. I also visualised our milestone deadlines in auto-updating Google Sheets for a period, as our deliverables were components in a larger procedural system and otherwise difficult to quantify.

Lastly, the team was divided across several features, giving members of the team an area of focus, ownership and responsibility based on their strengths and interests.

In a relatively short amount of time output, morale and the working methodologies had improved, allowing us to settle into a routine.

The team was primarily composed of junior and intermediate level designers who punched well above their weight. I was lucky to have them and proud of what they accomplished. They have taught me a wealth of lessons I will hold onto for the future.

Developing Heavy Firepower

My favourite item to have worked on is the SEAF-Artillery. It is an optional feature the player can stumble upon and if reactivated, calibrated and loaded will be linked to the player to fire at will.

To see it in action watch this 2 minute coverage on Youtube (timestamped)  

I built the SEAF Gun in Unreal Engine as a scripting excercise, including the terminal and stratagem systems.
It was a blast to collaborate with the artists on this feature which resulted in:
  • A big striking gun for the player to look out for in the field
  • A new modular kit we could embed the gun into which also offered a reusable fighting position to be used elsewhere
  • The ready rack to deliver the munitions into, and offer the player a glance at the load-order
  • Six munitions, which we could scatter in the immediate surroundings for the players to find; The more powerful munitions being harder to find

The Helldivers 2 community has embraced the workhorse of the Super Earth Armed Forces, and I couldn't be happier about it.

Responsibilities include:

Level & Mission Design
  • Create new levels:
    • Creating sketches or mock-ups
    • Building out levels from mock-up to final
    • Upgrading levels made by my designers
      • If they were unavailable to do the task and with their mutual approval, ownership was taken very seriously!
    • Feedbacking & collaborating with my team members on their levels
  • Design new mission logic in collaboration with other designers
    • Creating paper designs
    • Documenting mission designs for Technical Designers to develop playable sequences
    • Feedbacking & troubleshooting issues after the handover phase
Lead Level Designer
  • Team Health
    • Create an environment with psychological safety in mind
    • Ensure my team feels heard, even if I cannot solve their immediate issue
      • With personal disputes: Remind them our colleagues are not out to do wrong and initiate a dialogue between both parties.
      • With technical issues, report them to other departments and get solutions planned into the schedule
      • With deadline issues, find places to cut corners or improve output rate
    • Ensure the team talks internally and externally
    • Be open about the state of things and make sure we're aligned on the same goals (Both short and long term)
  • Training my team
    • Creating a bi-weekly education session for new techniques, philosophies and insights
    • Creating a weekly review session where we feedback each other's work focusing on both good and bad
    • Taking time for one-on-one sessions where I can focus on individual strengths and weaknesses
  • Supervising Production
    • Set targets for sprints to achieve long-term production goals
    • Unblock team members as soon as possible
    • Optimise output where-ever possible
    • Keep track of all content created and quality, so we have a clear understanding of what is ready for release and what needs revisiting

Recommendations:

Chris Brettman
Level Designer
"Michiel was my lead on Helldivers II and joined at a time that I considered to be a personal low point for myself. As my new lead, he took the time to get to know the rest of the level design team and me at a personal level to make us comfortable enough to be open with professional and private concerns that could alter the work environment.
He quickly proved himself to be someone you can trust to confide in your worries, concerns, and ambitions. It didn’t take long for my low point to subside after being under his management.

Under Michiel’s mentorship, my skills as a level designer were enhanced, and I started to design some of the best work of my career at that time.
One of his skills I appreciate the most is his ability to identify another designer’s methods and work styles, notice their strengths and weaknesses, and offer feedback and guidance for improving weaknesses, and fostering whatever it is that makes your strengths tick, helping you understand your own process along the way.

Our collaboration is one of the highlights of my time on Helldivers II. His feedback as my lead and senior was invaluable, and he showed me what it means to be a senior. He helped and encouraged me (along with the rest of the team) to think outside the box, identify what was lacking not just in our discipline but at a holistic level.
Michiel draws inspiration from his vast knowledge of history and games. Not a day went by that I didn’t learn something valuable from a game or historical event that would help elevate the level I was working on at any given time.

Michiel’s dedication to making a great game, great team, and great work environment has stuck with me and will serve as a benchmark for all future projects.
He would be an asset of incredible value on any team." 
Simon Sundström
Level Designer
I joined Arrowhead at the same time as Nesh back in July 2022, me as an intern and him as the Lead Level Designer.  He immediately took me under his wing and became a mentor, and to this day he’s still someone I really look up to and learn from.

What I really admire about him is that he’s not only a great level designer, but a great game developer overall. He has an artistic eye, incredible tech knowledge and he creates tools and spreadsheets that makes everyone’s life a lot easier. 

I would highly recommend him, not only for his game development skills, but also for his leadership and interpersonal skills.

Hanna Severien
Environment Artist
Michiel and I worked closely together at Arrowhead making primarily missions for Helldivers 2, he is a detailed oriented designer with a high work ethic. His work, particularly his pre-production, was always incredibly thorough and comprehensive, making my life as an artist easy.

Michiel is a great addition to any team and I can highly recommend him!