Helldivers 2‘s remarkable success continues. As more players join the vast galactic war to battle against the Automatons and Terminids, much of the conversation has turned to what will come next. And, if you’re new to the game, you may have seen players referring to a mysterious person called “Joel”. But who is Joel and what exactly does he do in Helldivers 2?
Before we go into detail on who this person is and why players are talking about him, it’s worth providing some context.
In Helldivers 2, players join squads of up to four to complete missions. These missions make up operations.
As you complete more operations, this contributes to the galactic war effort and the current Major Order. Major Orders are time-limited objectives that apply to the entire community and further the game’s story.
If the community fails the Major Order, the Galactic War will progress in favour of the Automatons and Terminids.
And this is where Joel comes in. So, who is Joel and why is he so important?
Who is Joel in Helldivers 2?
Joel is an employee of Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios. He has the job title of “Game Master” and is responsible for devising the game’s Major Orders and deciding what happens next in the Galactic War.
Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt revealed Joel’s job role in an interview with PC Gamer in February 2024.
Johan explained that “We have a lot of systems built into the game where the Game Master has a lot of control over the play experience. It’s something that we’re continuously evolving based on what’s happening in the game. And as part of the roadmap, there are things that we want to keep secret because we want to surprise and delight.”
Pilestedt went on to explain that Joel has already used his Game Master powers to influence the Galactic War. “There have been some sudden moments where maybe one planet was too easy or one was too hard and [Joel] had to get up in the middle of the night to give the Automatons a bit of reinforcements so the players don’t take [the planet] too quickly”, Pilestedt said.
Pilestedt also took to X to further detail Joel’s role and what exactly he does: “As a follow up on Game Master abilities, the majority of the role is to choose which major order takes place, what daily is active and decide where the enemies attack. The war fought and liberation of planets – that’s all you!”
While it remains to be seen exactly what Joel has planned for future events in Helldivers 2, the impact players can have on the war is indisputable.
Despite Joel’s control over the story and objectives, they can only progress if and when players complete or fail Major Orders.
Therefore, ultimate control is still in the hands of the game’s dedicated and democracy-loving player base.
What are your thoughts on Joel’s involvement with Helldivers 2? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles.
