DEI has been a sensitive subject in gaming over the past few years and many have said that companies are shoehorning inclusion into titles to ‘check a box.’ The characters don’t do anything of value to the game but companies think that players are just happy to have them included. Recently, Helldivers 2 CEO Pilestedt reached out to fans about the concept of the company’s next game, and the subject quickly turned to a chat about DEI. To this, Pilestedt had some wise and encouraging words.
Pilestedt has recently been very active on social media, responding to many inquiries that fans have brought up. For instance, the Helldivers 2 CCO recently drew a line where future collaborations will end. He also discussed DLC and stated that the team would “never put enemies or gameplay behind a paywall.”
Pilestedt talks about future games and DEI
Just before 2025 was officially rung in, Pilestedt posted on his X page about what the next Arrowhead game will be and wanted to get some speculation. To this, one user responded, “Never add DEI to your games.”
To this, Pilestedt had some wise words to share that all development companies should listen to. Pilestedt stated, “If it doesn’t add to the game experience, it detracts. And games should be a pure pursuit of amazing moments.” This is something that many individuals have stated in recent years. DEI has been a major topic of discussion recently thanks to games like Concord, Dustborn, and Dragon Age Veilguard. This topic has also brought waves of criticism from the fanbase.
Pilestedt also said, “I really don’t care. Make good games, don’t make a contemporary political statement.” We can safely assume that DEI won’t be the future of Helldivers 2. More importantly, Pilestedt’s words have shown that the team wants to make good games that people will enjoy and not just ‘check a box’ that players don’t want to be checked.
