The 22-year-old suspect alleged to have killed right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Wednesday left behind some unusual clues for investigators, including one that referenced the fascist-satire shooter Helldivers 2, according to government officials.
Utah governor Spencer Cox said at a press conference on Friday that federal investigators had found engraved messages on bullet casings recovered at the crime scene, including an unfired shell that included the phrase “Hey, fascist! Catch! ↑ → ↓↓↓” — arrow symbols that match the input required to execute a stratagem in Helldivers 2. That stratagem, Eagle 500kg Bomb, lets players drop a 1,100-pound bomb that embeds itself in the ground before exploding. It’s one of the more destructive special moves in the game.
Other shells had different messages engraved on them, including “Notices bulge / OWO what’s this?” a reference to a meme about furries and online role-play; “Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,” a reference to an Italian anti-fascism song from 1953; and “If you read this, you are gay lmao,” which is seemingly little more than a shitposty gotcha meme. While the Helldivers 2 reference is getting much of the attention — particularly in the wake of U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. partially blaming video games for gun violence earlier this month — the alleged shooter’s messages appear chaotic and influenced by online discourse.
The inclusion of a Helldivers 2 reference among the shooter’s alleged messages sparked debate and concern among the community that plays the game. The game’s official Discord is flooded with messages denouncing the use of real-world violence, distancing the game and its players from the shooter, and calling on Helldivers developer Arrowhead Game Studios to respond. The Helldivers subreddit is likewise being overwhelmed; mods have temporarily locked the board.
“Due to recent events and the high amount of posts about the topic, we will be locking the subreddit temporarily,” reads a message posted to the r/helldivers subreddit. “We’re aware of what happened, our modteam doesn’t condone it. In any case, posts and discussions about it are against this sub’s rules regarding real-world political discussions.”
Helldivers 2 was released on PlayStation 5 and Windows PC in February 2024. An Xbox Series X version was released in August. The sci-fi third-person cooperative shooter casts players as Helldivers who fight on behalf of Super Earth, ostensibly protecting humanity and spreading “managed democracy” to other worlds. Like its strongest inspiration, Starship Troopers, Helldivers 2 is styled as a satire on fascism — players act on behalf of a militaristic regime, acting as peacekeepers in a Galactic War against alien forces.
Polygon has contacted Arrowhead Game Studios for comment and will update when the company responds.
