In the context of Helldivers 2, the expression “managed democracy” has come to life in an unexpected way, especially after a recent decision-making event within the player community. After the successful galactic war against the Illuminate, players came together to rebuild the city of Remembrance and decided its new name through a poll on the official game Discord.
Son of a GUN…
The name options included more serious proposals like New Remembrance, Everlasting Memory, and Winds of Change, but the simplest and most provocative option, simply Gun, captured the attention of voters. Surprisingly, Gun received an overwhelming 72% of the votes from over 85,000 participants, which has generated entertaining reactions both in the gaming community and among the developers of Arrowhead.
Shams Jorjani, CEO of Arrowhead, expressed his disdain for the outcome and commented that he hoped a more suitable name would be chosen, despite the community finding the name Gun amusing. His exchange with a player on Discord, where the user asked “Is the city Gun real?”, made clear the incredulity at the popular choice. Jorjani responded: “I really don’t know where we stand on that. Personally, I hope we take the path of managed democracy and choose something more… but the people have spoken.”
This episode not only demonstrates the dynamic and carefree humor that characterizes the Helldivers 2 community, but it also highlights how collective decisions can take unexpected paths. The choice of the name Gun, while playful, has led to a reflection on how community members relate to and actively participate in the game’s development.
