It turns out even slightly mean philosophical pranks by the developers of satirical wargames can have a heartwarming ending. Last week, Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios issued players with a new Major Order, and a stark moral choice: save a hospital of sick kids from an army of killer robots, or earn the cool anti-tank mines they’ve always wanted (at the third time of asking).
En masse, players selflessly chose the sick kids, and now they get their just reward: feeling good about themselves. Arrowhead’s chief creative officer Johan Pilestedt revealed on X that the studio had made a $4,311 donation to Save the Children to commemorate the community’s in-game generosity.
The good vibes continued within the game lore, too. The studio’s official Helldivers 2 account shared an adorable sketch of a smiling child holding hands with a Helldiver (next to a burning alien skull) and the following in-fiction message:
Dear Helldivers,
Thank you so much for saving us. They told us you made a lot of sacrifices (mines/lives) to help us. We’ll always be grateful. Now, we can grow up to become Helldivers too.
With Liberty,
The Very Sick Children of Super Citizen Anne’s
We also have a special message to share with you:
“Dear Helldivers,
Thank you so much for saving us. They told us you made a lot of sacrifices (mines/lives) to help us. We’ll always be grateful. Now, we can grow up to become Helldivers too.
With Liberty,
The Very Sick Children… pic.twitter.com/ZuiI4OQUaP— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) June 14, 2024
Aww. That warm fuzzy feeling you’re getting is worth more than a fake video game anti-tank mine, right?
Right?
