Yee-naw: Helldivers 2 Director Aligns with Arrowhead’s Controversial Anti-Cowboy Hat Policy, Declares “No Hats on Helmets”

If you’ve been keeping up with the latest buzz in the gaming world, you probably heard that Helldivers 2 recently introduced a new cowboy-inspired Warbond called Borderline Justice. However, it seems to be missing something vital—no cowboy hat in sight. Arrowhead, the game’s developer, decided that cowboy hats don’t quite align with the Helldiver dress code.

This decision hasn’t sat well with everyone. Some players are so passionate about it that they’ve found a workaround, downloading mods that let them top off their new armor with a classic ten-gallon hat. Johan Pilestedt, the game’s director and chief creative officer—currently on a break—couldn’t resist chiming in on Twitter while attending the Game Developers Conference.

While he was curious to hear what players think about the new Borderline Justice gear, the question that quickly took center stage was: where’s the cowboy hat, and is there a chance it could be added in the future?

In response, Pilestedt tweeted, “I’m not sure—I haven’t heard any design discussions about it. But I do feel it doesn’t fit the Helldivers’ image, and I stand by that.” He did promise to bring it up with the team during his next visit to the office. To another player, he remarked, “I agree a hat would be cool, but it just doesn’t mesh with Helldivers’ style… hats on helmets aren’t a thing.”

This sparked a fair bit of debate, mainly from those pointing out that last year’s Viper Commandos Warbond from the PH-9 Predators armor included a beret worn right over a helmet. This seems to bend the same rules the cowboy hat is failing to meet. So, what exactly is considered a “military” hat? Do cowboys make the cut? And if so, what about cavalry hats?

Despite the hat ordeal, there was a glimpse of something exciting on the horizon. Pilestedt mentioned the possibility of a future perk allowing players to brandish sidearms as their primary weapons, even wielding them akimbo. “It’s a bit too resource-intensive to animate right now, but who knows what might come down the line?” he pondered in a tweet.

Is wearing a hat over a helmet even practical in reality? And if so, which helmet are you picturing? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!