Meet the new hero of Helldivers 2: Dremskiy, a player kicked despite insisting "Im frend," who now has a full Steam friends list after even PlayStation shared the love

GamesThird Person ShooterHelldivers 2Meet the new hero of Helldivers 2: Dremskiy, a player kicked despite insisting “Im frend,” who now has a full Steam friends list after even PlayStation shared the loveWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesThird Person ShooterHelldivers 2Meet the new hero of Helldivers 2: Dremskiy, a player kicked despite insisting “Im frend,” who now has a full Steam friends list after even PlayStation shared the loveWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Reddit via artist DTHLSS / Arrowhead)

UNOFFICIAL DO NOT USE Helldivers 2 fan art

“Im frend,” Dremskiy said, voice quavering (I assume).

“Don’t make this more difficult,” Tolga responded, tearfully (I assume).

Fast forward mere hours and Dremskiy’s story is all over the Helldivers 2 community across Reddit and Discord. Memes, fan art, animations – the whole nine yards. People are calling for a cape or emblem made in Dremskiy’s honor. “Im frend” has become a battle cry for camaraderie, complete with a new user flair on the main subreddit, and even developer Arrowhead and publisher PlayStation are in on it.

“For prosperity. For liberty. For democracy. For frend,” the developertweetedearlier today.

“Im frend,” PlayStation UKresponded, and just this once I won’t break out the anti-brand quasar cannon, primarily because I don’t have to because the Helldivers 2 community has already replied to loudlyremind PlayStation that nobody’s forgotten the whole PSN debacle was its idea. You don’t just become frend overnight,Sony.

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Dremskiy, however, did become a community icon almost overnight. Better still, they now have a full friends list on Steam, packed with fellow divers engaging in jolly cooperation. I know this because I found them on Steam – confirming to the best of my ability that it’s the correct Dremskiy using their Helldivers 2 playtime – and Steam says their friends list is full.

When I say I found them on Steam, I mean Ifoundthem. I was luckily able to chat with Dremskiy to not only confirm this story but also get their thoughts on the whole thing. Turns outthey’re a graffiti artistand have aTwitch, too.

Frend forever and beyondDremskiy

Frend forever and beyond

Amazingly, they hadn’t yet seen that even Arrowhead and PlayStation had joined in on the fun. I alerted them to the tweets above, and their response was golden: “Wait the devs are? You’re joking right? Okay now I’m getting a bit anxious if the devs respond and stuff. What am I supposed to say or do?”

I asked if they have a message for the folks who’ve rallied around the frend banner. “I’m frend,” they begin. “Frend forever and beyond. Since the devs are taking notice of this I want to thank them … A lot of people are complaining about this and that about the game, but as far as I’m seeing it’s doing really good.” They say their only real problem is “when you dive into the ground and certain areas in the map you would get stuck and glitch.”

“Other than that it’s just an amazing experience,” they say of Helldivers 2, adding that they’ve clocked over 100 hours in the game and have reached rank 41.

In my search, I also spotted a Steam user named Frend of Dremskiy, which goes to show how far this trend has spread. What’s more, Dremskiy has received several Steam awards, including four “Take My Points” medals and five “Warm Blankets.” You’ve got to love a genuine case of players rallying to co-op with someone who, even if their story wasslightlydramatized, looked to be in need of friends. Sorry – frends.

Helldivers 2 dev threatens to make the hardest difficulties even harder: “I think we might have some things in store for the players who coast through everything.”

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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

1

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

3

Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

4

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

5

Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

1

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

2

Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3

Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5

Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and Nicola Coughlan as Joy in Doctor Who Christmas special Joy to the World

1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

1

Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

2

Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

3

Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

4

Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

5

Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

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