Yee-naw: Helldivers 2 Director Backs Arrowhead’s Bold Stance Against Cowboy Hats, Asserting “Hats Don’t Belong on Helmets”

As you might have heard (we’ve been chatting about it quite a bit this week), Helldivers 2 introduced a cowboy-themed Warbond called Borderline Justice yesterday. Interestingly though, it doesn’t include a cowboy hat, because Arrowhead believes that such headgear doesn’t quite fit the Helldiver uniform protocol.

Not everyone shares that sentiment. Quite a few players feel otherwise and have even exited the official gear saloon to find a mod that lets them pair the new armor with a ten-gallon hat. Johan Pilestedt, the Helldivers 2 director and chief creative officer, who’s currently enjoying a sabbatical, shared his thoughts on the matter through a Twitter thread while attending GDC and speaking in panel discussions.

When Pilestedt asked players for their feedback on the Borderline Justice gear, the inevitable question came up repeatedly: Where’s the cowboy hat, or is one in the works for future updates? In response to one query, Pilestedt wrote, “I don’t know—I haven’t been part of the design conversations. But I feel it crosses the line of what Helldivers represents, which I agree with,” and added, “I’ll chat with the team next time I’m in the office.” He gave a slightly different answer to another gamer: “I agree that it would be awesome, but I think it might disrupt the Helldivers’ aesthetic… people don’t typically wear hats on helmets.”

This last comment sparked some frustration among players, who were quick to point out that the beret from last year’s Viper Commandos Warbond in the PH-9 Predators armor is technically a hat atop a helmet, and it seemed to pass the uniform guidelines. So, what’s the verdict on military-appropriate hats? Do cowboys count as military personnel, and does a cavalry hat fall into a different category?

Despite the hat debate, Pilestedt hinted at something intriguing for the future in the same thread. “[A] perk that allows people to use sidearms as their primary weapon AND wield them akimbo…”, he mentioned, adding, “Unfortunately, the animations are quite complex to create, but maybe down the road?”

Do you ever strut around with a hat on your helmet in real life? We’d love to hear which helmet you’re talking about! Share your thoughts with us below!