
Many Helldivers 2 fans were surprised to learn that the game's wars are being directed by a D&D-style game master named Joel, and some still aren't sure how to feel about it. The devs behind the game say they knew the system was going to be divisive, but it adds a very unique dimension to the battle against the bugs and bots.
"Most live service games have something like a game master, but it's a series of automated events," community manager Katherine 'Baskinator' Baskin explains on the game's official Discord. "Buffs/debuffs/events are activated automatically according to some schedule... instead of what we're doing here, which is a person who can analyze the campaign as it's happening and make more sensitive choices. We knew it would be divisive! But we hope overall that people enjoy it."