Both sides, in good faith

The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.

The case for

Adding Helldivers 2 to the higher PlayStation Plus tiers can give a successful live-service game a timely influx of players just as its expansion arrives, making co-operative matchmaking more vibrant and helping new content reach a wider audience. Supporters may also see it as tangible value for Extra and Premium subscribers, while preserving a distinction between those tiers and Essential. A larger active community could support the game’s longevity and future development.

The case against

Critics may argue that placing a game which still sells strongly on a subscription service risks reducing direct purchases and may feel unfair to players who recently paid full price. They may also question whether excluding Essential subscribers fragments the PlayStation audience and turns access to a major update into an incentive to upgrade. From this perspective, Sony should be cautious about using subscription availability in ways that could weaken the perceived value of owning new games.