Now that the PSN account linking debacle is behind them, what could have been a disaster for Helldivers 2 is now turning into a legendary tale within the community. Fans have been busy crafting cape designs ever since Sony reversed its decision, and some of these designs have even caught the attention of the development team.
It all started when Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt spotted an “accidental cape design” on Discord, featuring four red lines representing Helldivers 2’s plummeting reviews over the weekend.
This sparked a movement, with another community member refining the design and others contributing their own ideas. Soon, a plethora of designs flooded in.
On Reddit, one Helldivers 2 fan shared a detailed concept called “The Prodigal Son,” complete with a visual nod to the game’s Steam reviews. The cape’s description symbolizes the briefness of galactic conflicts, thanks to the Helldivers’ efficiency.
The final blue arrow represents what fans are calling “Operation Cleanup,” an effort to counteract the effects of the review bombing campaign. This endeavor has already improved recent reviews to “Mixed,” a significant jump from the previous “Overwhelmingly Negative” sentiment. Many fans noted the resemblance of the red bars to Helldivers’ iconic drop pods.
Encouraged by the community’s creativity, the Helldivers 2 team is reportedly working on an official version of the cape. Pilestedt teased that they’re still brainstorming a name for it and joked about its price before confirming that it will be free.
This community-driven initiative comes after a tumultuous three-day saga that began with the announcement that Helldivers 2 would require Steam players to link a PSN account starting May 7. The ensuing uproar led to the game receiving hundreds of thousands of negative reviews and being delisted in 177 countries. PlayStation eventually reversed its decision, stating that it is still figuring out the best approach for PC players.
Now that the dust has settled, Arrowhead Studios is feeling more optimistic, with Pilestedt expressing gratitude for the community’s resilience and thanking PlayStation for swiftly addressing the issue.
