Helldivers 2 isn't getting transmog because wearing armor with passives that don't match it would be "like having an apple that tastes like bacon"

Helldivers 2 Democratic Detonation Warbond heavy armor helldiver

(Image credit: Sony)

It's bad news for interstellar fashion icons everywhere, as Helldivers 2's creative director confirms that Arrowhead isn't planning to add transmog options to the hit shooter because it just "doesn't make sense."

If you were unfamiliar, transmog – or transmogrification – is an option that lets you wear whatever useful equipment you want for the best abilities and stats, while essentially being able to apply a different outfit over the top that you prefer the look of. There's a solid argument that this gives you the best of both worlds, as you don't have to decide between aesthetics and strength when selecting your outfits – you can just pick your favorites.

"We are not doing transmog. It doesn't make sense – equipment looks different because it has different effects," he explains on Twitter. "Swapping one for the other is like having an apple that tastes like bacon or the other way around."

To be fair, considering that Helldivers 2 is a multiplayer game, it is handy to be able to glance at your teammates and know what abilities they're bringing to the table thanks to their getup. Even so, not everyone is thrilled about the lack of flexibility here, and responding to the director, players are also asking for color customization to help alter their outfits without changing their armor entirely.

"Okay, okay, but what about color variants or color customization?" one player suggests.

"Allowing the customization of armor colors could work as an effective compromise then maybe? My main issue is that my best armor and helmet don't look good at all together, and trying to find specific armors to work well with certain capes is a chore at times," another says.

For the foreseeable future, it seems we'll have to continue spreading Managed Democracy in the strongest gear we can, regardless of what it looks like. If it's any consolation, I don't think the Terminids or Automatons are judging us on our fashion sense.

A new Warbond, complete with some fresh new armor, recently got added to Arrowhead's third-person shooter – check out our guide to everything in Helldivers 2's Democratic Detonation Warbond for all the details.

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I'm GamesRadar+'s Deputy News Editor, working alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.