Video games, no matter what you play, are meant to let you live a different life or to attain a certain feeling from your accomplishments. Some crave the thrill of showing off their skills in fighting games or dominating with fast reflexes and precision in a first-person shooter. Others wish for a peaceful yet progressive life in a farming sim.

Then, of course, are the players who throw themselves into battle against an overwhelming force of galaxy-spanning tyrants and get mulched for the glory of an uncaring regime.

If there’s ever been one thing gamers love, it’s the idea of a last stand, a fight against impossible odds, dying with your two hands on a weapon; whether it’s for the glory of mankind and The Imperium in Warhammer 40,000 or for the pure love of managed democracy, gamers have shown their resilience to be insurmountable.

In case you missed it, Helldivers 2 released February 8, 2024, and came out with a groundbreaking formula for games that only Deep Rock Galactic, its predecessor in spirit, has come close to achieving.

A mix between Starship Troopers and Halo 3 ODST gameplay revolves around a squad of four faceless Helldivers who are democratically dropped from orbit, armed with guns in their hands and four “stratagems” at their beck and call. These special power-ups offer necessary supplies, such as occasionally treacherous auto turrets, or the explosive fury of a 380MM barrage and 500KG bomb.

All the while, the players’ actions affect the ongoing war with three enemy factions. At every hour of the day, you see thousands at a time taking planets, defending occupied territories, or sometimes watching as a black hole swallows another entirely, feeling the weight of every battle.

Players loved it. The Helldivers subreddit alone, originally intended for the first game, held just above 14,000 members before the release of Helldivers 2, whereas today, it holds over 2 million.

The game’s latest update disrupted not only the in-game meta but corporate standards as well. Helldivers and its sequel are licensed by Sony, a famously unyielding force when it comes to its games and its licensing. In a record-breaking deal with Microsoft, they bestowed the game on Xbox players and even did the unthinkable: a Halo crossover.

Helldivers can be seen rocking the famous ODST armor and the even more iconic MA5C assault rifle, M90A Shotgun, and even the M6C magnum pistol. Regardless of whether you play the game or not, this represents something huge—a bridging of these two communities that have been opposites for decades. On day one, the expansion sold over 926,000 copies, dwarfing the sales of the original game.

What impressed me the most, however, was the community. All over social media, there are stories of level five helldivers joining the fight and meeting the grizzled level 150 veteran who’s been to hell and back. In most games, you’d get yelled at for being a noob or told to go practice against A.I. Instead, here you’re given a mech and are told to go fight with your new brothers-in-arms. You’re given all the cool weapons you’ve yet to unlock, guided by your elders, and taught how to properly spread managed democracy.

What other communities are similar to how positive the Helldivers community has been? Of course, there are always a few bad apples, but what was done differently? Communities like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing are predominantly laid-back and easy-going, but that could be attributed to the nature of the game. You go at your own pace and relish living in the quaint world. Maybe it’s the PvE aspect?

There are some MMOs however, where you mess up the dungeon and get yelled at or have power-hungry guilds. That might be a little harsh. Final Fantasy XIV has its official mentor program, and Monster Hunter has experienced hunters teaching new players to hunt. Is it the teamwork aspect? Well, if you look at Overwatch 2or League of Legends, you’d understandably disagree.

Games like Space Marine Two and Deep Rock Galactic throw you into a harsh world with no room for mercy. You’re forced to adapt or die. Both of which foster similar bonds between teammates; characters in both even use the term’ brother’ to one another. This is done on purpose. Helldivers 2isn’t positive by accident.

From your first minutes in the game when you’re bestowed upon you your cape, to the moment that orchestra sends shivers down your spine as you descend to the planet below, you are given a mission: to do your duty. To fight for something greater than yourself against all odds with almost no hope of succeeding. And the only thing you’re able to rely on (aside from your highly explosive ordinance) is your comrades in arms.

Underneath all the polish and self-aggrandizing, it’s a bleak reality, and you’re fighting an even bleaker war.

And despite all of that, you can still have the time of your life, laughing while watching as you accidentally call an airstrike on your friend, watch as you’re bombarded by gunfire that would give anyone flashbacks in real life, and witness the insanity of an enormous worm unearthing itself and dwarfing the sun. All before extracting, letting the moments of the previous mission settle in while you saddle up for another.

Death doesn’t stop you, doesn’t bring you down; it’s a temporary roadblock that you will overcome. Moments of defeat are met with cries for democracy and the fight for Super Earth. You aren’t walking into hell; you’re diving headfirst, might as well have friends alongside you.