After a controversial galactic war outcome, fans unite to boost Helldivers 2’s Steam rating and reclaim its reputation.
Helldivers 2, the wildly popular cooperative shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios, is no stranger to chaos—on and off the battlefield. After an intense fan backlash surrounding the game’s recent narrative twist involving the Chinese Mega City Equality-On-Sea, Helldivers 2’s Steam rating plummeted to “Mixed.” Now, players are fighting a very different kind of war: one to restore its tarnished score.
The controversy stems from the developers’ handling of the in-game Galactic War event. Players across the globe worked tirelessly to reclaim the Equality-On-Sea region, but their efforts were seemingly ignored in the final outcome, sparking accusations that Arrowhead manipulated the war narrative. Chinese players, in particular, felt sidelined and began a mass review bomb campaign on Steam, dropping the game’s approval status dramatically. At one point, over 2,600 negative reviews were posted in a single day—a staggering 40-fold increase.
But in the wake of the Equality-On-Sea debacle, the community is rallying. Glitch Unlimited, a well-known content creator and longtime supporter of the Helldivers franchise, issued a call-to-arms via social media. “Let’s restore the game’s rating to its original state before it changed to Mixed,” he posted, labelling the initiative a ‘Major Order’—a nod to the game’s own terminology. Promising to host a game giveaway and donate to charity if the player base can succeed, Glitch urged fans to share honest, positive experiences rather than engage in blind review boosting.
“I’m not asking anyone to break the rules,” he clarified after concerns were raised about Steam’s strict guidelines against incentivised reviews. “Just highlight what makes our fight for democracy epic.”
The post has since gained traction, with the Helldivers 2 subreddit and Twitter/X threads lighting up with enthusiasm. Many fans see this as a chance to counterbalance what they believe was an overblown response to a temporary narrative outcome. “This game has its flaws,” one Steam reviewer wrote, “but none of them justify the kind of mass negativity we’ve seen lately.”
Indeed, recent reviews on the platform suggest a changing tide. Dozens of players have already posted fresh five-star testimonials, praising Helldivers 2’s tight gameplay, addictive mission loop, and community camaraderie. Several directly reference the Equality-On-Sea event, imploring others not to let a single narrative decision ruin the game’s broader appeal.
Even Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt has commented on the turmoil, likening the game’s trajectory to No Man’s Sky’s infamous fall and redemption arc. He acknowledged the studio’s recent “summer of pain” but remained optimistic that the team and the community would weather the storm together.
Meanwhile, the deadline looms: Glitch Unlimited has given the community until 31st June to push Helldivers 2 back into “Positive” territory. Whether or not the player-led operation succeeds, it’s clear that the battle for Super Earth’s digital reputation has ignited a new form of cooperation among fans.
For now, democracy isn’t just being spread by bullets and orbital bombardments—it’s being fought for in the Steam review section.
