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Helldivers 2 will “never” get PvP because Arrowhead don’t want a toxic community"We all are fighting on the same side!"
“We all are fighting on the same side!”
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/PlayStation
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/PlayStation
If you’ve been yearning to take up arms against Super Earth as either an arachnid, a robot or a filthy (managed) democracy-hating human traitor, then I have bad news, roughneck.Helldivers 2will “never” get a PvP mode, according to Arrowhead’s CEO Johan Pilestedt. The reason? They want to avoid encouraging any toxic behaviour in the newshooter’s multiplayer community.
“We’ll “never” add a PvP-mode,” Pilestedttold a Xitter userlast night (I think the air quotes are for emphasis - I don’t think he’s trying to invite scepticism). “This is to reduce toxic elements from the community. We want an environment that’s supportive, fun and where we all are fighting on the same side!”
Again, you could argue that Helldivers 2 already unofficially supports PvP, but Pilestedt might respond that the game’s friendly fire component is designed to be amusing, not enraging. Our Ed Thorn would probably agree. Here’s an extract from his glowingHelldivers 2 review:
Honestly, Helldivers 2 might be funniest game of the year, as the pressure of the bugs and the robots and the forced physicality of your inputs encourages a comedy of human error. A ‘friendly’ turret might target an enemy in the distance mincing your friend who unknowingly stumbles into its bullet stream, then a bomb blast might send you tumbling into a lake. One time, a friend checked Xwitter for a split-second and he walked straight into a mine, vaporising him instantly. Another time, a friend shot a seemingly innocuous canister, only for all of our screens to turn white. He’d unleashed a nuke, killing us all instantly.
The game’s fascist space war is, of course, open and gleeful satire, a videogame retelling of Paul Verhoeven’s parodic movie adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein’s military sci-fi novel Starship Troopers. You’re not supposed to actuallywantto be a frothing space Nazi. But Pilestedt seems hopeful that players will take the premise seriously enough to form lasting bonds and an enduring, happy community. In regards to an IGN piece about best co-op practices in the game, hecommented: “I love to see a culture being born out of the need to survive.”
If you’re reading this, Johan, I’d really love to chat more about how you’re finding that balance between ironical enjoyment and sincere investment. No, I don’t just want to dunk on you for Doing A Representation Of Fascism. I’ma PlanetSide 2 player, don’t you know.
