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'Helldivers 2,' 2024's Best-Selling Video Game, Refused Demands For LGBT Inclusion

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These days, the LGBT crowd demands to be “included” in everything. Every piece of media, every inch of the town square, everything must be “LGBT inclusive.”

Of course, when they (the whole pro-LGBT lobby) say “inclusive,” that doesn’t just mean they want a seat at the table. Rather, it usually means they want constant veneration, celebration and promotion. They don’t just want the table, they want the roof over it, too.

Well, to the surprise of many, it turns out the LGBT crowd doesn’t always get what it wants, and it’s going to complain vocally in those cases. 2024’s best-selling video game, “Helldivers 2,” has faced all manner of criticism from that crowd for not being LGBT-inclusive enough.

More specifically, the game’s developers have reportedly banned all political messaging from the game — including LGBT symbols and messaging.

Speaking with media outlet Polygon for a March 8 article, one pro-LGBT user complained that the game’s developer — Arrowhead Game Studios — has banned all political discussion in its official online spaces.

The issue for the LGBT user, obviously, was that that blanket ban included LGBT issues.

“The problem is that Arrowhead’s official spaces […] have made the deliberate decision to silence LGBTQ+ voices under the guise of banning any ‘political’ discussion, as if people’s identities are political, and as if this game was not created and marketed as a heavy-handed piece of political satire,” the user told Polygon.

In one of those official online spaces, another user asked if LGBT pride flags could be included within the game for player characters to wear.

The devs did not relent to this request, as obviously, it would mean breaking their rule of banning politics from the game and its official spaces.

Would you play "Helldivers 2"?

Of course, LGBT individuals are welcome to play the game just as much as anyone else — as they should be.

But, because they’re not allowed to dominate the space with their social propaganda absolutely, mainstream outlets like Polygon are up in arms.

This is no small feat, considering the fact that “Helldivers 2” is a best-seller.

According to a March 21 report from GameSpot, the third-person shooter is the best-selling game in the U.S. so far in 2024.

For those unfamiliar, the game is a Sony-developed co-op game where players are pitted against enemy forces of alien armies (there is one bug-like enemy race as well as an enemy faction of robots) as the players seek to expand the territory of the fictional “Super Earth.”

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Many liken the game’s tone to that of “Starship Troopers,” in that it regularly satirizes the masculine nature of pro-military sentiment.

WARNING: The following clip contains images of violence that some viewers may find disturbing.



In addition to pushback over the game’s neutral LGBT stance, many — including Polygon, within the outlet’s aforementioned coverage — have criticized the game’s player base for enjoying the military role-playing (Polygon refers to it as “fascist role-play”) too much.

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Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations; helping guide the editorial direction of The Western Journal; and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Michael Austin graduated from Iowa State University in 2019. During his time in college, he volunteered for both PragerU and Live Action. After graduation, Michael went on to work as a freelance journalist for various entertainment news sites before joining The Western Journal as an intern in early 2020.

Shortly thereafter, Michael was hired on as a staff writer/reporter. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations; helping guide the editorial direction of The Western Journal; and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Entertainment News, Christian-Conservatism




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