The brave folks at Arrowhead Game Studios have “leaked” found footage of Helldivers 2’s game master, Joel, and it’s safe to say that Joel isn’t who we thought he was.
Arrowhead one-upped the seemingly omnipotent Joel by dropping exclusive found footage on X (formerly Twitter) of Joel working on Helldivers 2 on Aug. 1. With his own office space, he has the freedom to use his god-like powers to bend the world of Helldivers 2 at his will. But Joel isn’t a simple human. His name alone is an acronym, suggesting J.O.E.L may be something more mechanical than human.
Released by Arrowhead, J.O.E.L appears to be a single operative force, working all hours to spawn in Terminid, eject Helldivers from their Super Destroyer, resume control of the Automaton, and execute Illuminate actions. Now more than ever, we must ask: Just who exactly is Joel?
Clearly, no one wants to disrupt God’s work, as J.O.E.L. launches the viewer out of the room with his telekinetic powers if you’re spotted. Perhaps his fury comes from us seeing that he holds the blue beam launch codes. Is Joel the Illuminate, or is the Illuminate simply a myth?
The Blair Witch-style recording, Joel’s Anonymous appearance, and his Supacell-like powers confirm that Joel’s powers aren’t limited to the simulation. But is J.O.E.L truly on the side of freedom, democracy, and sweet liberty like Command wants us to believe?
Hopefully, more will be revealed when the Escalation of Freedom drops on Aug. 6. I bet Joel has many ideas up his sleeves that he can’t wait to share with us.
