Why Helldivers 2 players renamed a city to Gun!
Helldivers 2 players were given the opportunity to change the name of the City of Remembrance following its destruction during the Super Earth invasion by means of a community vote on Discord. The outcome? The city will henceforth be referred to as Gun.
Gun won by a wide margin from all the names on offer. According to a screenshot of the poll, it got almost 73% of the total—over 82,000 votes. Other choices, like Winds of Change, Tides of War, or Peace Beacon’s Bloodlight, fell far short.
While most people seemed to find the simplicity of “Gun” pleasing, some players were let down that the more innovative or poetic names did not triumph. For a game like Helldivers 2, which doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s brief, clear, and unexpectedly appropriate.
Many players were reminded of the Boaty McBoatface incident—when the internet chose the most bizarre possible option to name a British research vessel. This feels like the same kind of moment when an official tale includes a community joke.
Even Shams Jorjani, the CEO of Arrowhead Game Studios, responded to the vote. Though he ultimately accepted the outcome, he joked in the Discord server that he was tempted to go in and pick another name. Clearly, the players had picked.
Gun is now legally integrated into the game universe. The voting has come to an end. This is where players will spend their super credits and come back between missions. And although at first it might seem funny, it already feels like a natural element of the Helldivers universe.
The degree of community participation across the game’s revisions is also fascinating. The designers have kept the community engaged and involved, from changing balances to naming choices like this, something many games have difficulty achieving.
Though it is unknown if there will be more community polls like this in the future, judging from the results of this one, it wouldn’t be shocking. And you could reasonably anticipate a vote for Gun 2 or something even more basic if Gun ever breaks down once more.
Players are just savoring the present for the time being. Another little illustration of how Helldivers 2 keeps developing beyond just content additions, but also via great community engagement.
