Amidst the thrum and chaos of a Helldivers 2 mission, it can sometimes feel like you’re all alone out there. Sure, those airstrikes must be coming from somewhere, but wouldn’t it be nice to get a little more direct assistance from time to time? As it turns out, developer Arrowhead Game Studios has its very own ‘game master,’ inspired by Dungeons and Dragons, and they have powers to help swing the balance in either direction – including abilities yet to be revealed.
Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt says this game master is a Helldivers 2 developer called Joel, and explains that they keep watch over the war as a whole to keep things feeling spicy in one of 2024’s best co-op games so far. It’s something we’ve already seen in action, when our initial push against the Terminids was rudely interrupted early on by that nasty robotic Automaton invasion, forcing a divide in attention.
Speaking to PC Gamer, Pilestedt reveals, “We have a lot of systems built into the game where the game master has a lot of control over the play experience,” and adds that “It’s something that we’re continuously evolving based on what’s happening in the game.” This can mean bumping up enemy reinforcements on planets that are falling too quickly to the sweet spread of liberty, or even handing stratagems to players directly in a pinch.
In a follow-up X/Twitter post regarding the interview, Pilestedt emphasizes, “The majority of the role is to choose which major order takes place, what daily is active, and where the enemies attack. The war fought and liberation of planets – that’s all you.” He does, however, confirm that the game master has the power to “reinforce planets if needed and give temporary equipment to the entire community… and other stuff we haven’t revealed yet.”
Also making the rounds on Reddit this week is a video appearing to show mechs already in-game. Previously announced by Arrowhead in a trailer as “coming soon after launch,” those of us who spent a lot of time with the original Helldivers will no doubt have been waiting for the likes of the EXO suits to make an appearance in the sequel. Whether or not the video is legitimate, we know that they will be introduced eventually, which isn’t a huge surprise given how many of the best Helldivers 2 weapons and stratagems come straight from its predecessor.
If you’re reading this, Joel, I would dearly love my EXO-44 back. It’d make evacuating those science teams a lot more efficient – and, really, isn’t that what spreading liberty is all about?
For the time being, we’ll have to satisfy our needs with the best Helldivers 2 stratagems. If you’re still working hard to unlock the ones you want, be sure to check out the best Helldivers 2 farm for quick XP and medals.
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