Helldivers 2 Game Master Joel seen for the first time on video and now we have 3 unnerving truths: he isn't human, has psychic powers, and his name is an acronym
Aug. 2, 2024Joel is now J.O.E.L., and he’s terrifying
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After six months of hiding in the shadows,Helldivers 2’selusive Game Master Joelhas been revealed in a tongue-in-cheek video from Arrowhead.
Over on Twitter, Arrowhead shared a 90-second video which I’ll freely admit made me giggle out loud. In it, a member of the studio’s video team approaches a glass door belonging to “J.O.E.L.” with warning labels stuck to it. The employee ignores the warnings and enters Joel’s domain as the Game Master watches a Helldivers 2 mission, takes over a robot and attacks players, and interacts with the Discord community. At some point, the poor soul filming the whole thing coughs involuntarily and is noticed by J.O.E.L., who uses his newly revealed psychic powers to send an invisible blast toward the cameraman that sends him reeling.
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The video contains several startling revelations. First of all, his name is an acronym? I’m afraid to find out what it stands for, unless it’s Just Out here Enjoying Life. And since when was he some sort of superhuman deity?The last we heard he was just some sleep-deprived guy named Joel, not J.O.E.L. the Destroyer.
Joking aside, and because anyone in the dark is probably desperate for some sincere context, Joel is Helldivers 2’s D&D-style Game Master who decides on things like which major order takes place, what daily is active, and where the enemies attack. When Arrowhead saw the somewhat unnerved reaction from the community after learning about the all-powerful Joel, it really leaned into the bit. This is probably its biggest, or at least its most elaborate, contribution to the ongoing Joel arch, and I just think it’s a lot of fun.
Meanwhile, the Helldivers 2 studio’s CEO turned to the power of democracy to crowdsource fresh progression ideas as many grunts “are sitting on mounds of digital gold”.
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After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar’s west coast Staff Writer, I’m responsible for managing the site’s western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I’m too afraid to finish.
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