Another day, another drama emerges from X regarding the state of politics in video games. Every day, it’s the same tired conversation about “DEI” and “woke” culture, opening the floodgates for vicious ‘gamers’ to spread hate and vitriol online.
The latest hot topic involves Helldivers 2, which drew criticism on Elon Musk’s social media platform after the Chief Commercial Officer of Arrowhead and Creative Director of Helldivers 2, @Pilestedt, responded to a comment stating that politics shouldn’t be included in games. He said, “I really don’t care. Make good games, don’t make a contemporary political statement.”
This statement sparked a backlash from both anti-woke and woke groups, triggering another massive online argument about DEI and reigniting a familiar discourse. The exchange brought out some of the best and worst takes imaginable – just another typical Tuesday on X.
Kate Bush’s Husband, known as @airbagged on X, who is vocal against right-wing rhetoric, called the statement “weird,” noting that the anti-woke crowd would likely take it as a victory. This same group had previously launched a harassment campaign against Helldivers 2 community managers last year.
The response was unexpected, particularly from someone who created a game that satirizes America’s global war on terror – a deeply political concept.
Masking the message with Tyranids and robots doesn’t make it any less obvious.
More X users weighed in on the statement. @BenjaminTobitt argued, “Anyone saying they don’t want politics in their media just means they don’t want politics they don’t understand or like.” His comment section quickly became a breeding ground for further toxic discourse.
Currently, DEI remains a contentious topic in the gaming community. It has become the new bogeyman for a modern wave of Gamergaters, who openly express disdain for people of color, women, and minorities in video games.
This toxic rhetoric has spread across various social media platforms, not just X. Recently, it targeted games like Sucker Punch’s upcoming Ghost of Yotei, which features a female protagonist. Similarly, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows faced backlash, with gamers disliking the game for reasons unrelated to its content. While it’s fair to criticize Ubisoft’s track record of formulaic open-world titles, the surge in racist comments during the announcement was alarming.
There seems to be no immediate remedy for this recurring internet drama, often dubbed “Gamergate 2.0.” It’s the same toxic cycle from the original Gamergate, now perpetuated by bad actors hiding behind keyboards in their parents’ basements.
The Helldivers 2 CCO’s statement only emboldens the wrong kind of people, adding more fuel to the already burning fire of this vocal minority that deems themselves saviors of gaming.