In the MMO shooter PlanetSide 2, a number of cosmetic items were removed from the in-game shop with the last patch. This caused dissatisfaction among parts of the community, as the items were originally contributed by a specific player.
These are the items in question: After an update on November 30, fans of PlanetSide 2 noticed that some cosmetic items were no longer available in the in-game shop. This included the “Lynx Helmet” with its cat ears and the “Raid Hat”.
In the games of Daybreak Game Company, which includes PlanetSide 2, the community can create their own designs for cosmetic items and submit them to the developers. If the items are accepted, they are added to the game’s shops, where they can be purchased for money.
The items that were removed from the shop were originally created by the user “G1ngerBoy”. According to a reddit thread, they were quite popular. User u/Kaptaard used the PlanetSide 2 API and found that the cat-ear helmet had been sold over 4,500 times.
Why were the items removed? While the developer Rogue Planet Games has not yet provided reasons for the removal of the cosmetic items, there are speculations in the community.
The main suspicion that has been expressed multiple times on reddit and Twitter is that it is due to G1ngerBoy’s criticism of the developers, specifically lead designer Michael “Wrel” Henderson. Henderson initially started his career as a YouTuber and then transitioned to game design (via YouTube Wiki).
G1ngerBoy has frequently expressed negative comments about updates and design decisions of PlanetSide 2 in the past, often not holding back in his reddit posts. In his posts, he referred to Henderson as “brain dead” and mockingly expressed concerns for the “mental health” of the development team (via reddit).
Recently, G1ngerBoy criticized that one of his proposed items was rejected because it “did not fit the art style” of the game. Meanwhile, a Viking helmet with huge horns was introduced as a new cosmetic item (via reddit).
“Quite unprofessional action”
These are the reactions: Under the announcement of the update on Twitter and in the reddit forums of PlanetSide 2, some players expressed their dissatisfaction with the removal. The accusation against the developers is that the removal is a form of revenge for G1ngerBoy’s attacks on lead designer Henderson.
- “Extremely disappointed with the unprofessional removal of a community member’s contribution. Wrel [Michael Henderson] does a lot of good for the game, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to defend his inadequate ability to interact with the community. […]” – @Apollo_PS2
- “Yes, quite an unprofessional action […] I wanted to buy these helmets, but I can’t because you removed them without reason.” – @N7jpicard
- “Give us our cat ears back, you cowards!” -@Sailcat7
- “Yikes, this is as unprofessional as it gets. Ram horns and crab armor? They were immediately given the green light. ‘In the name of the art style’ is no longer a legitimate excuse […]” – @SeaversD3
Another part of the players on reddit and social media sees the action as a mud-slinging match between G1ngerBoy and lead designer Henderson, which they can follow with interest. Reddit user Jaxelino commented: “Finally, good drama.”
Players who already own the removed items will still be able to use them. Only new purchases are no longer possible. So those who really wanted the helmets will now miss out.
