“Crafting Games Beyond Politics: Insights from Helldivers 2 Director on Creative Freedom”

Helldivers 2 creative director and Arrowhead CCO Johan Pilestedt, the visionary behind a game centered on the theme of parodying fascism as a Halloween costume, believes game designers should simply “create quality games, refrain from making contemporary political declarations.”

This Twitter conversation, which has predictably escalated into debate among users puzzled by Pilestedt’s remark and those who support it, began with Pilestedt hinting at Arrowhead’s upcoming project. “I am developing the core concept, but I would love to hear your thoughts,” he stated in his initial post.

As is common with many notable gaming tweets, this post attracted the gaming segment of the anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) crowd, who believe, despite strong expert opinions to the contrary, that the push for diversity and inclusion among game developers is to blame for the industry’s current challenges or their own dissatisfaction. “Never include DEI in your games,” one user advised Pilestedt.

“If it doesn’t enhance the gaming experience, it detracts,” Pilestedt responded somewhat ambiguously. “And games should be a pure pursuit of extraordinary moments.” Arrowhead and Helldivers 2 have found acclaim and success by following the principle that “a game for all is a game for none,” and Pilestedt has particularly emphasized the importance of crafting those unforgettable moments even if the final product may not engage every gamer.

In response to an individual treating DEI as a scapegoat – a completely unrelated and unwarranted topic – in a discussion where everyone involved appears to be communicating past each other, that message may not resonate the same way. If this is all meant to be part of a performance, with Pilestedt feigning ignorance similar to a deliberate misunderstanding, it hasn’t quite connected with everyone judging by the chaotic discussions surrounding his reply. Perhaps brand new ideas are meant to handle delicate issues here, distancing Helldivers 2 from direct links to contemporary political themes, but the argument could be too vague to hold any real weight.

Another user questioned “how would DEI have benefited Helldivers 2?” and although Pilestedt did not provide substantial specifics here either, he did respond.

“I don’t favor labels,” he began. “But humanity is united in its extreme xenophobia on Super Earth. #Inclusion so, maybe that’s DEI? I really don’t mind. Create quality games, avoid making a current political observation.”

I’ve seen numerous game creative leads adamantly claim they weren’t being political, may not intend to be political, or that they and other games should not engage in politics, often as a means of playing things as cautiously as possible. These assertions have repeatedly been challenged by other game developers or undermined by the very games those creative leaders have worked on. This peculiar episode of completely unnecessary controversy would fall into the latter category, but could also simply be a case of poorly chosen words, unfortunately magnified by online culture wars.

Edit: Shortly after this article was published, Pilestedt responded to another user citing the strange distinction between his intended message and “the game where you invade planets for oil, combat the spread of communism, and wage war on a race for potentially possessing WMDs.” Here’s his complete response:

“Well, that’s the game’s theme. I was referring to outside the theme. Apologies for being unclear. Additionally, it’s more Cold War/Bush-era politics that inspire HD2.”

To clarify, our roundup of the best games of 2024 declared Helldivers 2 as the GOTY winner, and similar to Metaphor: ReFantazio – also high on the list – its excellence is partly due to it being one of the most politically charged games of the year. Helldivers 2’s satirical take on democracy is genuinely amusing, and it gives the absurdities of its universe a striking edge. As Pilestedt emphasizes, the Wide Earth regime is a xenophobic collective. As he previously pointed out, that regime – with its all-consuming military and persecution of dissent – is comprised of fascists. “Don’t be a fascist,” he urged gamers last year. (I am again preserving this “facist” typo for clarity; accompanying comments clarified that Pilestedt meant fascist.) That is the humorous narrative! And it is, undeniably, a piece of political commentary. Is it relevant? That is definitely a bit murkier and arguably depends on your geographical context.

Helldivers 2 portrays exaggerated versions of very real fascist actions but allows players to engage playfully with fascism by amplifying it to absurd levels and transforming it into a spectacle, all while role-playing as fascists ourselves because acting as the antagonists in video games can also be entertaining, particularly when you’re poking fun at them. Without all that, the humor, world-building, and charm would dissipate if Arrowhead attempted to completely steer clear of political themes, as some have suggested, making this entire exchange even more perplexing. I’ve heard more convincing arguments that the sun rises in the west.

On this day, we discovered that Helldivers 2