Helldivers 2 Set to Celebrate Second Anniversary With Some 'Surprises,' Including This Fantastic BTS Look at How John Helldiver Was Born

As portion of a "month of day surprises," Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has formally introduced america to the "face of Freedom, the dependable of Victory, the airy of Liberty… John Helldiver."

In a fascinating heavy dive into the penning and casting of the iconic character, histrion Craig Lee Thomas and pb writer Russ Nickel discussed processing the look and dependable of the crippled that the fandom has dubbed, rather rightly, John Helldiver.

"Casting was crazy," said Russ Nickel, Helldivers 2's pb writer betwixt 2020 and 2022. "I did each the writing, and past the publication went disconnected benignant of into the abyss, and I didn't perceive thing for a while. Then I recovered retired that it was going to sprout successful a week.

"They really hadn't truly done immoderate casting. They were conscionable going to usage this histrion who's based successful Sweden, who was perfectly good, but I was like, 'This is going to beryllium John Helldiver!' (I didn't cognize that would beryllium his sanction astatine the time). We can't conscionable get idiosyncratic who's good! Like, we request to get the funniest idiosyncratic we tin perchance find!"

"From the archetypal audition, you work for what you tin arsenic an actor, and you get excited astir truthful galore things," added Thomas, admitting: "But this successful particular, arsenic soon arsenic I work it, I was like, ahh, I really, really, really privation to bash this." So, with precise small notice, helium recorded a speedy audition portion and sent it off. The video includes Thomas' audition and adjacent though his portrayal is simply a small little amusing than we've travel to expect, there's nary doubting that it's our John Helldiver.

"Within a mates days, I had gotten aforesaid tapes from Craig Lee Thomas, who plays John Helldiver," Nickel explained. "He's perfect. I emotion that man. He's truthful good!"

For more, cheque retired the 15-minute featurette connected YouTube, implicit with insights into the signaling and mocap process, and immoderate thoughts from the manager of the opening cinematic.

Helldivers 2's adjacent Warbond 'Siege Breakers' volition merchandise tomorrow, February 3. As elaborate successful a caller station by Arrowhead's societal media and assemblage manager, this Warbond is for players needing "something to smash done [...] towering foe with impenetrable fortifications,"... which I'm beauteous definite means it's needed by each of us.

In September, the studio’s CEO confirmed Helldivers 3 is not successful immoderate program developer Arrowhead has close now, saying that alternatively it wants Helldivers 2 to support going for years and years, similar seasoned MMO RuneScape. The Helldivers 2 movie is besides picking up steam, and successful December, Helldivers 2 received its large 5.0.0 spot arsenic good arsenic its jungle-themed Python Commandos Warbond, which added a fig of fan-requested weapons, including a minigun.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.