Helldivers 2 Developers Had Social Media Access Restricted to Protect Their Mental Health from Fan Comments

Arrowhead Game Studios has implemented measures to shield its team members from harsh online criticism and toxicity surrounding Helldivers 2.

Helldivers 2 design director Niklas Malmborg discussed the studio’s workflow and developer protection strategies during an interview with the Main Quest YouTube channel. The conversation addressed how the team handles player reactions and maintains mental well-being.

While the studio regularly reviews player feedback, Malmborg jokingly noted that certain spaces are best avoided to preserve one’s sanity. On platforms like Reddit, some developers are not prepared to handle the intensity of the critique and aggressive language.

Because of this, Arrowhead decided to limit staff members’ exposure to social media. Malmborg explained that he personally monitors harsher communities, including HelldiversUnfiltered, to absorb that feedback directly:

“Personally, I can read almost anything — it doesn’t really bother me […] I even check the HelldiversUnfiltered section, which is… well, let’s say: very harsh on us, and… I try to read through everything. But we tell some developers: ‘Look, just check out these places — they’re fine,’ because some developers are very heavily affected [by comments] […]”

Malmborg added that he has had to hold one-on-one discussions with certain Helldivers 2 developers to guide them on which community channels are safe to visit:

“You have to have individual conversations with [developers] to explain: ‘You need to step away from social media, you can’t look at these places, you need to stop following these people.’ Because if you go too deep, it can lead to deteriorating mental health, as some people have a tendency… you know, if they see nine good reviews and one bad review, their entire focus shifts to the one bad one.”

Image source: zireael, Arrowhead Game Studios, PlayStation Publishing LLC

Earlier this summer, Helldivers 2 launched a Warhammer 40,000 collaboration.

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