The Helldivers 2 community manager was apparently fired after all. Now the community is going into battle again with the goal of getting him back to his position.
The players of Helldivers 2 are throwing themselves into a new fight after they have already won as a community against Sony’s PSN compulsion, because Sony has now rowed back. There won’t be any compulsory PSN now.
This time, however, it’s about the Helldivers 2 development studio, Arrowhead. Apparently the community manager of the successful shooter has now been fired.
What exactly had happened? Helldivers 2 experienced a surge on Steam that spanned several weeks. The game was an absolute hit and the number one topic of conversation – until it became a shitstorm.
After the announced PSN closure, players flooded Helldivers 2 with negative reviews. Sony’s policy required mandatory linking of PlayStation Network (PSN) and Steam accounts – which is not technically feasible in many countries.
In addition, there was a platform requirement in countries. In Ukraine, players would need a PS4 or PS5 to be able to create a PSN account. In response to the PSN compulsion, Steam stopped selling Helldivers 2 in many countries.
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Players are fighting for Community Manager and desperately want him back
How was the community manager involved? The community manager Spitz was also not enthusiastic about the PSN requirement, but only after he found out that the shooter was no longer available in many countries as a result. He had previously made a bad tone and shot at players, for which he later apologized.
So after learning the important detail, he encouraged gamers to speak out against Sony. The community manager Spitz advised the angry players to continue to write negative reviews and also to send refunds.
The reason: Although the negative feedback is painful, it is good because it allows them to contact Sony and bring it into the discussion. But this commitment probably cost him his job.
What does Spitz say about the dismissal? Spitz originally told the community that he was almost fired for the actions. Spitz is now contacting the players again to inform them of the news that he has actually been fired from his job as Community Manager (CM): Every war requires victims, said Spitz (via PC Gamer).
“In general, as a community manager, it’s not a good idea to tell people to refund the game and leave negative reviews,” pointed out Spitz on Discord (via VideoGamer). He emphasized that he stood by it and explained that it was his job to represent the community and that he did so.
But the players don’t want to leave it like that.
Over 6,000 players have signed so far
How do the players react? The Helldivers community apparently really wants Spitz back as community manager – a petition has even been started on Change.org. This aims to reverse Spitz’s termination. Entitled: Rehire legendary community manager General Spitz, the petition has already collected over 6,000 signatures.
In the petition, they implore Arrowhead to reinstate Community Manager (CM) Spitz to his previous position as CM in recognition of his bold community management strategy that not only worked, but also restored the trust of much of their community.
It remains to be seen whether the community’s commitment and the petition will have an impact. It is also unclear whether community manager Spitz even wants the job back. Helldivers 2’s committed commitment to the community was evident from the start, which is also reflected in the way Joel is treated: Helldivers 2: Who is Joel? – This is what lies behind the man who determines the fate of the over-earth.