Yee-naw: Helldivers 2 Director Upholds Arrowhead’s Controversial No Cowboy Hat Policy, Asserting “Hats Don’t Belong on Helmets”

As many of you might have heard—since we’ve been chatting about it a lot this week—Helldivers 2 introduced a cowboy-themed Warbond called Borderline Justice. However, much to the surprise of some fans, it didn’t come with a cowboy hat. Arrowhead, the game’s developer, doesn’t feel a cowboy hat fits the Helldiver uniform specifications.

Naturally, this decision stirred up some debate among players. A portion of the community didn’t like the idea, and a few have even turned to mods to pair their new armor with a classic ten-gallon hat. Although currently on a break from day-to-day activities, Helldivers 2 director and chief creative officer Johan Pilestedt has joined the conversation from the Game Developers Conference (GDC) via Twitter.

After asking players what they thought about the new Borderline Justice gear, Pilestedt was bombarded with questions about the missing cowboy hat and whether it might be added in the future. In response to one inquiry, he tweeted, “I don’t know—I haven’t been part of the design discussions. But I believe it’s a departure from what Helldivers are about, which I agree with. I’ll bring it up with the team next time I stop by the office.” In another tweet, he mentioned, “Yes, it’d be awesome, but I think it would disrupt the Helldivers’ aesthetic… people don’t usually wear hats over helmets.”

This answer hasn’t sat well with some fans, who quickly pointed out that the previous PH-9 Predators armor in the Viper Commandos Warbond included a beret, effectively a hat over a helmet. It raises the question of what makes a hat military enough for Helldivers. Are cowboy hats too casual, or could we see a cavalry-style adaptation?

On a more tantalizing note, Pilestedt hinted at a possible future addition that got players excited. He mused about a perk that might allow players to use sidearms as primary weapons and even dual-wield them, though the animation work required is currently a major hurdle. “Maybe someday,” he pondered.

Do you enjoy sporting a hat on your helmet in real life? What kind of hat-helmet combo do you fancy? Share your thoughts with us!