Yee-naw: Helldivers 2 Director Stands by Arrowhead’s Bold Stance Against Cowboy Hats, Proclaiming “Helmets Aren’t for Hats”

As you might have already noticed (we’ve been quite chatty about it lately), Helldivers 2 launched a new cowboy-themed Warbond called Borderline Justice yesterday. However, it comes without the cowboy hat because Arrowhead, the game’s developer, insists that such headgear doesn’t align with the Helldiver uniform requirements.

This decision hasn’t sat well with many players. Some have even taken matters into their own hands by seeking out mods that let them pair their new armor set with the iconic ten-gallon hat. Johan Pilestedt, Helldivers 2’s director and chief creative officer, who is currently taking a break, shared his perspective on this debate through a Twitter thread while attending GDC.

After asking players for their opinions on the Borderline Justice gear, Pilestedt was inundated with questions about whether the game would ever include a cowboy hat. His response was, “I don’t know – haven’t heard the design conversation. But I think it crossed the line of what the Helldivers represent, which I agree with. I will ask the team next time I pop by the office.” Yet, when another player inquired, Pilestedt admitted, “I agree that it would be awesome, but I think it would break the fantasy of Helldivers… people don’t wear hats on helmets.”

Many players found this stance a bit frustrating, especially since last year’s Viper Commandos Warbond allowed a beret to sit atop a helmet with the PH-9 Predators armor. It raises the question: Are cowboy hats just too far from military standards? Do cowboys really belong on the battlefield, or are we mistaking cavalry hats for something else entirely?

Nevertheless, Pilestedt hinted at something intriguing amid this hat debate. He suggested the possibility of a future perk allowing players to use sidearms as primary weapons and dual-wield them. “Unfortunately, it’s a bit too much work to create the animations right now, but maybe sometime in the future?” he mused.

So, do you strut around with a hat on top of your helmet in reality? What kind of helmet are we talking about? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!