Summary
Arrowhead Studios CCO Johan Pilestedt has responded toHelldivers 2fans who continue to request a review bomb cape be added to the game, stating that the studio is waiting for “region conclusion” before the cosmetic item is released.Helldivers 2was review-bombed en masse back in May and fans have been waiting for a commemorative cape ever since, but it looks like they might have to wait a little longer.
PlayStation found itself in hot water with fans earlier this year when it announced a majoraccount-linking change forHelldivers 2on PC. The updated requirement would see players be forced to link their Steam and PSN accounts if they wished to continue playingHelldivers 2on PC, but due to massive outrage from the game’s community, which included a plethora of negative reviews on the game’s Steam page, PlayStation walked back the requirement just a few days after it was announced.
Helldivers 2’s historic review bombwas promptly turned around by the community, but fans urged Arrowhead Studios to turn the negative review graph into a cape to commemorate the moment. Johan Pilestedt, who was the studio’s CEO at the time, teased the cape not long after the fiasco, but there has been very little update on its release since. Now, in a new AMA on theHelldivers 2Discord (spotted byIGN), Pilestedt has given an update on the cape and said that it is yet to be released as Arrowhead is “waiting for region conclusion” asHelldivers 2remains unavailable in certain regions due to the account-linking controversy.
Helldivers 2 Dev Explains Lack of Review Bomb Cape
Before PlayStation walked back the account-linking requirement, itdelistedHelldivers 2in a large number of regionsdue to the fact that PSN is unavailable in many places around the world, meaning it would be impossible for those players to link their accounts and play the game. However, when the studio reversed the decision, it failed to bringHelldivers 2back to Steam in the delisted regions. Pilestedt says Arrowhead has been attempting to rectify this issue with PlayStation, but it still remains an issue almost four months later.
When asked by a fan on Discord if the cape will ever be released, Pilestedt said that the studio doesn’t want to release it until it “[gets] more clarity on the country issue.” The CCO’s response implies that the cape is ready to be released, but that Arrowhead believes releasing it while some countries are still unable to play due to the fiasco would be in poor taste.
Arrowheadfound itself at the center of another controversy at the beginning of August as fans expressed their dissatisfaction with theHelldivers 2Escalation of Freedom patch. While the massive update added plenty of new content for players to check out, it also included plenty of weapon nerfs that fans believed were “unnecessary.” The studio has since responded to the backlash and admitted it needs to re-examine its approach to balance adjustments, but the number of negative reviews that rolled in due to the update could have resulted in a second review bomb cape before the first had even been released.
Helldivers 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Do you believe in freedom? Can you stand in the face of oppression – and defend the defenceless? Wage war for peace. Die for democracy.Join forces with up to three friends and wreak havoc on an alien scourge threatening the safety of your home planet, Super Earth, in this multiplayer co-op shooter for PS5 and PC from Arrowhead Game Studios.Step into the boots of the Helldivers, an elite class of soldiers whose mission is to spread peace, liberty and Managed Democracy using the biggest, baddest and most explosive tools in the galaxy.Helldivers don’t go planet side without proper backup, but it’s up to you to decide how and when to call it in. Not only do you have a host of superpowered primary weapons and customizable loadouts, you also have the ability to call on stratagems during play.Helldivers 2 features Arrowhead’s best cooperative gameplay yet. Collaboration will be vital: Teams will synergize on loadouts, strategize their approach for each mission and complete objectives together.1Enlist in Super Earth’s premier military peacekeeping force today. We are heroes… we are legends… WE ARE HELLDIVERS.
