Helldivers 2’s Latest Commemorative Cape is Its Most Personal One Yet

In the months since its launch, Arrowhead Game Studios has released many warbonds for Helldivers 2 players to complete. Warbonds, for those who are out of the loop, are basically Helldivers 2‘s version of battle passes, except they never expire. The game’s warbonds come in two varieties: standard and premium. While the standard warbonds are completely free, the premium ones are only accessible by purchasing Super Credits, the main in-game currency in Helldivers 2. Super Credits can be obtained entirely through in-game progression, but players who want access to them as soon as possible can purchase them outright using real-world money.

Most of the cosmetic items that are added to Helldivers 2 can only be unlocked via the completion of warbonds, both free and paid. Recently, however, Arrowhead Game Studios announced that a new commemorative cape will be bestowed upon all existing players, without requiring them to finish warbonds. This cosmetic, titled the Pillars of Freedom cape, is instead going to be available in all Super Destroyer Armories at no extra cost. Although Arrowhead Game Studios intends to give the cape away to players as soon as possible, the company notes that it may take some time for it to appear in their inboxes.

Helldivers 2 players are being rewarded for winning the Battle of Super Earth with a free cape.

Helldivers 2 Players Earn Free Reward for Winning ‘Battle of Super Earth’ Event

Arrowhead Games Studios announces that Helldivers 2 players will be given a free reward for winning the Battle of Super Earth event.

Helldivers 2’s Pillars of Freedom Cape Commemorates an Important Event in the Game’s History

The Pillars of Freedom Cape Represents the Customer Reviews Chart for Helldivers 2 on Steam

The Pillars of Freedom cape has a rather interesting design that somewhat resembles a bar chart. It features four red lines of differing lengths, the third of which goes all the way to the bottom of the cape. Some players may think that the design of this cosmetic is just meant to be some cool-looking insignia, but it actually represents the customer reviews chart for Helldivers 2 on Steam. Although Helldivers 2 has mostly positive ratings on Steam right now, a year ago, it was the subject of a mass review bombing campaign, which led to it getting dismal reviews on the platform.

Helldivers 2 Was Review Bombed Last Year Following a Controversial Announcement from Sony

In May 2024, Sony Interactive Entertainment, the publisher of the game, announced that Steam players would have to make and sign in to a PlayStation Network account to continue playing Helldivers 2 in the future. This news came as a shock to many Helldivers 2 fans on PC, since, up to that point, they were able to play the game without being forced to create any extra accounts. Sony, it seemed, was trying to get PC gamers to sign in to PlayStation Network in order to increase its monthly active users for the service across all platforms.

Arrowhead Game Studios had no involvement in Sony’s decision to require PSN accounts for Helldivers 2.

The PC gaming community understandably didn’t take this decision lightly, and in retaliation, they decided to bombard Helldivers 2 with thousands of negative reviews on Steam in an effort to make Sony change its mind. At first, Sony seemed reluctant to budge and instead opted to delist Helldivers 2 on Steam in all countries where PSN wasn’t available. This led to even more backlash from fans, with many upset that they were no longer able to play the game. These events ultimately culminated in Helldivers 2 getting over 221,080 negative reviews on Steam, all within the span of a single week.

After receiving enough pushback from fans, Sony eventually decided to backtrack on its decision to forcefully implement PSN in Helldivers 2. The company announced on May 6 that year that Steam users, both existing and new, would no longer be required to link their Steam accounts to PSN, and that it was still learning what’s best for PC players. Sony, however, did not relist Helldivers 2 on Steam in the countries it removed the game from until only a few days ago. Although this review-bombing incident was not a positive experience for either Arrowhead Game Studios or the Helldivers 2 community, it’s nice to see it memorialized by the game’s new Pillars of Freedom cape.