Helldivers 2 is turning a tough situation into a unique opportunity. Following the "PSN-gate" incident that caused a surge of negative Steam reviews, delisting in several countries, and forced Sony to reverse a PSN sign-in requirement, Arrowhead Studios is creating a special cape to acknowledge the player protest.
(Photo : Arrowhead Game Studios / Screenshot taken from Steam.)
A Controversial Idea Takes Shape
Last week, Sony reversed the PSN sign-in requirement. That same day, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt posted in the community about a cape inspired by Helldivers 2's Steam review graph. The graph showed a sharp rise in positive reviews followed by a sudden drop as negative reviews poured in.
Initially, it was unclear if he was serious about the cape. However, he later confirmed that they were "talking about a good name for it right now."
Two days ago, Pilestedt tweeted a teaser image of the cape. It features black fabric with a matte finish, and in one corner, two long red bars representing the over 200,000 negative Steam reviews. Most of these reviews have since turned positive. Adding to the cape's credibility, community manager Twinbeard commented on Discord: "We already have a name," hinting at the cape's possible release.
Acknowledging Player Protests
This is not Arrowhead's first cape commemorating player actions. In April, they celebrated the liberation of Malevelon Creek with an in-game holiday and a special cape for all players. The review bomb cape, however, is different. While the Malevelon Creek event was a positive celebration, the PSN-gate issue is still a problem for some players who are locked out of the game.
The studio's decision to acknowledge a review bombing protest is unusual. Review bombing has been effective but controversial, and just weeks ago, a community manager was fired for supporting this kind of protest.
The cape, still unnamed, is expected to be released for free soon, likely during the next big in-game event.
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