Helldivers 2 fans are having a reckoning inside their own community, despite being only a few weeks old as they struggle to decide the “proper” way to enjoy the game’s satire.

Fandoms like Helldivers, Warhammer, and Starship Troopers tend to divide participants when it comes to the actions of characters in the fandom. Recently, the Helldivers 2 fandom has come under criticism for allegedly hosting unironic fascists.

Sidestepping the entire argument of who’s allowed to play a video game (everyone), some fans are unsure how to approach the over-the-top setting of the game where players are part of a massive interstellar empire masquerading as a democracy.

A recent tweet brought the issue to a head by offering a “friendly reminder” to fans of the game to “don’t be a fascist”. While to some this seems like an innocent reminder, some are taking offense to the tweet’s assumption that fans are fascist.

A few public lobby experiences have convinced me this ought to be said#HelldiversII #HellDivers pic.twitter.com/52JmLgz4jc

— Helldivers Alerts (@HelldiversAlert) February 24, 2024

It’s relatively common for members of fandoms to roleplay/LARP that they agree with the worldview of the protagonists in their respective media, but for people lacking in media literacy this might appear as an unironic endorsement.