"Skill Issue": Helldivers 2 Devs Criticized For Trash-Talking on Reddit

Believe it or not, but sometimes even universally-acclaimed video games beloved by critics and gamers alike find themselves a subject of controversy, a fact that was recently proven by one of this year's most revered titles, Helldivers 2.

In case you missed the news, earlier this week, the game's developer Arrowhead released the 01.000.100 patch for Helldivers 2, introducing balance changes and nerfing some of the weapons that players had already become accustomed to. As is always the case with such updates in video games, many players were outraged by the alterations, criticizing the developer and calling for a follow-up patch to either reduce the severity of the nerfs or roll back the update entirely.

However, the patch itself wasn't the central point of contention. Rather, it was the reaction of a few Arrowhead developers to criticism that irked fans. On Reddit, one developer labeled the over-dependency on the Railgun as the "definition of a skill issue", later admitting to intentionally trolling upset Helldivers 2 fans for their own entertainment. Another Arrowhead employee, the moderator of the official Helldivers Discord, exacerbated the situation by calling the community's outrage over the first developer's comments amusing.

While some fans dismissed the comments as light-hearted trash-talk not to be taken seriously, others took the apparent "git gud" stance to heart, lambasting the devs themselves and the studio in general for poor communication with the community. For a brief period, Helldivers' Reddit board was flooded with disgruntled fans who were disappointed by the behavior of the company, which, before this entire controversy, had an excellent relationship with its fans.

The situation escalated to the point where Arrowhead's CEO, Johan Pilestedt, personally intervened and engaged in the Reddit discussion. Surprising many, Pilestedt didn't side with the developers but instead supported the fans, denouncing the comments as "inexcusable behavior" and clarifying that "this is not a message that the studio stands behind". Pilestedt further mentioned that the studio has taken internal measures to educate its developers on representing the organization properly, a statement that many jokingly compared to the "freedom camps" mentioned in the game. Thanks to the CEO's involvement, the controversy has largely subsided at this point, with the players resuming the critique of the initial issue – the 01.000.100 patch.

Earlier, Pilestedt also tackled rumors circulating about Sony potentially acquiring Arrowhead, confirming the studio's independence. Additionally, it has come to light recently that Helldivers 2 has generated over $210 million in revenue within a month since its release.

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