241 - The Sound of Helldivers 2

Guest host Alistair Hirst returns to Dolby Creator Talks to sit down with the audio team behind "Helldivers 2," the hit third-person shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios. The game features a groundbreaking, immersive soundtrack which was recently nominated for a BAFTA in Audio Achievement (bafta.org/awards/games). In this episode, the creative team breaks down how they crafted the game’s visceral soundscape—enhancing the gameplay with hard-hitting weapons, dynamic enemies, and a cinematic, larger-than-life mix. They also share how they utilized Dolby Atmos® to heighten the sense of immersion and verticality, from incoming projectiles to flying enemies.
“Words that came up quite a lot were: visceral… chaotic... fairly violent… over-the-top movie trailer style sound effects. Grounded where possible, but larger-than-life, in-your-face, [and] action-inspired.”
—Harvey Scott, Project Audio Director, "Helldivers 2"
Joining the discussion:
- Harvey Scott, Project Audio Director
- Juuso Tolonen, Project Lead Sound Designer
- Paola Velasquez, Senior Dialogue Designer
- Simon Gumbleton, Senior Technical Sound Design Supervisor
- Olliver Andersson, Sound Designer
Be sure to check out “Helldivers 2,” now available on Sony Playstation in Dolby Atmos. (playstation.com/en-us/games/helldivers-2)
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