You might have already heard us talking this week about the latest update in Helldivers 2—a cowboy-flavored Warbond called Borderline Justice. Interestingly, there’s no cowboy hat included because, according to Arrowhead, it doesn’t fit the Helldiver uniform standards.
This decision hasn’t sat well with many players. Some die-hard fans have taken matters into their own hands by modding the game to pair the new armors with a classic ten-gallon hat. Johan Pilestedt, the Helldivers 2 director and chief creative officer currently taking a break, shared his thoughts on this topic in a Twitter thread while attending GDC panels.
Once players started discussing the new Borderline Justice gear, the inevitable question came up: why no cowboy hat? And could there be a chance for one in the future?
“I haven’t been in on those design conversations,” Pilestedt responded to a tweet. “But I think it steps outside what Helldivers represents, which I agree with. I’ll definitely run it by the team next time I’m in the office.” To another user, he added, “I agree, it would be awesome, but I think it would break the Helldiver fantasy… people don’t wear hats over helmets.”
Some players weren’t convinced by that explanation, especially considering the beret from last year’s Viper Commandos Warbond, which was allowed atop a helmet. This raises questions about what qualifies as a military-appropriate hat. Are cowboy hats fit for combat, or do cavalry hats count as a different category?
Something to look forward to, as teased by Pilestedt, could be a perk enabling players to use sidearms as primary weapons and potentially wield them in both hands. This idea is still on the table, despite the complex animations it would require. Maybe we’ll see it down the line?
Do you sport a hat on your helmet back in real life, and if so, which helmet are we talking about? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
