Helldivers 2 Players Hunt Traitor for Breaking Key Rule
Player GantzTheDemon brought down the wrath (and attention) of Helldivers 2 fans by betraying comrades fighting by his side.
In mid-February, the CEO of Arrowhead Game Studios mentioned the intention to reduce toxicity in the studio's new game as a reason for not including a PvP mode. Of course, "reducing" doesn't mean "eliminating" such behavior, as Helldivers 2 players learned painfully when they had the dubious honor of meeting the game's first "celebrity" - GantzTheDemon.
The player, who has made himself known to the community gathered around the title, has earned this interest, not least by helping less skilled companions. On the contrary, in a game that focuses on cooperation and a united front (even outside the gameplay), GantzTheDemon gained notoriety for eliminating his team members at least three times right before the mission's end.
The villain quickly gained a grim reputation and threats were made against him (via Reddit). An unofficial announcement was also posted on the Helldivers 2 Discord channel, encouraging other "hell divers" to share information about the renegade's "whereabouts or activities" (via Dot Esports).
Condemned and wanted
It could be asked whether it makes sense to condemn such behaviors, considering that the game actually allows them. However, those who have experience with multiplayer game communities know that fans of these games tend to create informal rules, breaking which can quickly lead to the disapproval of other players or being swiftly kicked out of the game.
For instance, killing "friendly" players in Team Fortress 2 or skipping the bow before a duel in Dark Souls aren't punished by the game in any way. In the latter scenario, we might argue that such dishonorable behavior is inherent in the dark world created by the FromSoftware studio.
However, pity the one who consistently violates these unspoken rules. Even if it typically goes unnoticed, we should be prepared for the possibility of being expelled from the server or facing the disapproval of nearly all players, including our "allies."
Source: Discord.
So it's no wonder that repeated betrayal in a game that emphasizes fighting together "in the name of Democracy!" was met with some reluctance from the community gathered around Helldivers 2. Gantz's actions must be driven by pure malice (or bloodlust), as the game doesn't reward being the sole survivor in any way. On the contrary, the loss of each comrade results in a decrease in the rewards for completing the mission.
Certainly, there are also people on the Internet who find the renegade's actions amusing and even want to include "Gantz's Demon" in the official game canon. For now, GantzTheDemon needs to be aware that other players who recognize him may either block him or actively seek him out and shoot him on sight without asking any questions (Helldivers 2 won't allow him to hide under a different nickname unless he changes his Steam / PSN account).
Of course, that's the kind of publicity the player could have been after. After all, for some, bad fame is still fame.
