Helldivers 2 is currently THE trending co-op shooter on Steam and PlayStation 5. This is not only due to the continuous action and fun battles but also because of the humor of the title. Now, the CEO of the development studio has explained how the concept behind the humor of the game originated.
What does the CEO say about the humor? In a post on X.com, Arrowhead CEO and Game Director Johan Pilestedt explains that the concept behind the humor is inspired by pen-and-paper role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons or Cthulhu. He has played these for years and witnessed how players always managed to “turn everything into a farce.”
The concept originates from the years when I played P&P role-playing games, where players manage to turn everything into a farce. Whether Cthulhu or D&D, it always ends with us crying from laughter.
Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt via X.com
In the comments under the post, a player of the shooter writes that he is glad that Helldivers 2 has not overdone it with the comedy inserts, as it is actually a “serious universe.” He also thinks it’s good that the comedy moments mainly arise from the actions of the players (via X.com).
Pilestedt subsequently replied on X.com: “Yes, it’s interesting how often people think everything must be a joke when it comes to humor/comedy. The humor arises from the contrast between claiming to be an elite soldier and what actually happens in the game. If everything were silly, nothing would be silly.”
The trailer for Helldivers 2 already gives a taste of the game’s humor:
How does the humor of the game work? Whether it’s the absurd phrases about spreading peace, freedom, and democracy, or the quirky ragdoll antics of the elite soldiers, who are hurled through the air by explosions of their own orbital strikes – players in Helldivers 2 always have something to laugh about.
However, the humor of Helldivers 2 is not based on jokes that could come from a stand-up comedy performance, as Pilestedt also clarifies in his statement. Instead, the serious outlook of the characters is exaggerated and made nonsensical. At the forefront of the humor is the spreading of peace by having players rain rockets from the sky.
In general, the humor is based on the actions of the players. Because you are serious elite soldiers with a serious goal, but nonsense only happens on the battlefield.
- You accidentally blew up your friends? That’s funny!
- You threw a grenade that bounced off a bug and came back to you? Also funny!
- You’re testing what happens when you shoot at that weird rocket stuck in the ground? Funny!
The humor is amplified by the serious setting: After all, you are supposed to fight evil robots and giant bugs to protect humanity. The fact that the whole game seems like a parody of political processes due to the contrast between the serious setting and the absurd humor is something many players enjoy.
The humor of the co-op shooter is one of the aspects that many players like about Helldivers 2. MeinMMO editor Dariusz Müller is also impressed by the absurd phrases and the quirky situations that the game provides. Therefore, for him, humor is one of 5 reasons that make Helldivers 2 so good: Helldivers 2 is a surprise hit on PS5 and Steam – 5 reasons that make the shooter so good
