Helldivers 2’s Commemorative Capes Shouldn’t Be Lost on New Xbox Reinforcements

Helldivers 2 is defined by its playerbase. In particular, how its playerbase engages with Major Orders and update events defines what in-game story progression looks like, essentially as if Arrowhead’s designers are Dungeons & Dragons GMs weaving an intricate story for its Helldivers, and players’ successes or failures against Terminid, Automaton, and Illuminate hordes dictate how the loose narrative is nudged forward. Helldivers 2’s recent region lock removal helped supply new reinforcements to the Galactic War, and the playerbase is set to grow even more exponentially with an Xbox Series X/S launch in August.

Helldivers 2 striving to include as many players as possible is an admirable aspiration and is sure to help an already healthy playerbase thrive further. And, though Helldivers 2 is guilty as charged for having epic water-cooler events, new players won’t need to have any knowledge of what occurred in-game before their arrival in order to enjoy their enlistment. That said, Xbox players will undoubtedly be outside the proverbial loop and seeing other players wearing commemorative capes may regrettably cause them to realize how much exciting lore they’ve missed out on.

Helldivers 2’s Commemorative Capes Open a Pandora’s Box the Game Can’t Close

Helldivers 2 has only begun doling out special commemorative capes, and its future is bright with storytelling and Major Order potential.

Helldivers 2’s Latest Commemorative Capes Reflect a History Xbox isn’t a Part of

Simply looking in one’s cape catalog, there’s no unique distinction or categorization for commemorative capes aside from seasoned players having been around for long enough to know that they represent something other than an ordinary Warbond cape addition does. No new player should feel like they have a chip on their shoulder for any reason whatsoever, but stepping into such a sizable legacy—fresh off of Helldivers 2’s first anniversary nonetheless—may be intimidating. It’s better late than never for Xbox players, and yet they may not be able to don special capes that commemorate some of Helldivers 2’s greatest moments thus far.

It’s unlikely that Xbox players will receive these capes due to the same exclusivity windows in which the original two capes—Fallen Hero’s Vengeance and Protector of the Heart—were released, and Pillars of Freedom is seemingly no less bound to exclusivity as it was “awarded to all existing players” at the time, on June 27, and Xbox players will continue to be non-existent until August 26. Plus, even if all commemorative capes were made available to Xbox players, they wouldn’t hold any value beyond how cool they look because these players wouldn’t have actually been there for the events these capes commemorate.

Helldivers 2’s Xbox Launch Deserves Its Own Commemorative Cape

That said, one way to compensate for capes that Xbox players might never receive is to administer one to them once they’ve completed their rigorous tutorial training that specifically commemorates their arrival as brand-new recruits, inviting them into the fold with a special gift. With its own design and description dedicated to Xbox players, it’d be a no-brainer for Arrowhead to celebrate the occasion with another Helldivers 2 commemorative cape since they’ve been such a big hit lately with current players and possess an abundance of sentimentality and nostalgia.

While potentially polarizing, it’d even be quite fair if a cape commemorating Helldivers 2’s Xbox launch was only available to Series X/S players and not PlayStation 5 or PC players as a means of making up for the capes they might not have access to.

Regardless, commemorative capes have proven to be phenomenal tokens of players’ achievements, whether or not these achievements have merely been participation trophies. Of course, there is no such announcement or rumor that there will be a commemorative cape for Xbox players. But, Xbox players getting one as soon as they join Helldivers 2 would immediately give them a day to remember and a story with which they can regale future players.