Sometimes the best intel comes from places Super Earth High Command never intended. While Helldivers 2 dataminers spend their time picking through code like scavengers on a bug planet, a former concept artist might have already dropped the whole vehicle roadmap without realizing it.
Lucas Örström worked at Arrowhead for over eight years and was the first concept artist assigned to Helldivers 2 when the project started in December 2015. They left the studio in May 2022, well before the game launched, but not before creating a portfolio that might contain some very expensive secrets.
Last year, they posted what they call “a small sample of work” on ArtStation. Buried in there sits concept art for vehicles that haven’t seen the light of day yet. Including one that looks suspiciously like a six-wheeled death machine.
The APC Nobody Talks About Anymore
Anyone who follows the leak scene of Helldivers 2 knows about the APC. Early datamines have even shown gameplay footage of the thing rolling around with a working turret, albeit with unfinished textures and placeholder elements:
Most players assumed Arrowhead had scrapped the concept given the radio silence that followed.
But then the Control Group warbond dropped this week, and suddenly everyone’s rethinking what “scrapped” actually means. The PLAS-45 Epoch weapon that can’t hit the broad side of a Factory Strider? That thing was datamined ages ago, too. If Arrowhead can resurrect a plasma cannon that shoots sideways, maybe they can dust off some proper armor.
Örström’s concept shows the APC sitting next to the Patriot Exosuit and the FRV like they’re all part of the same family. The design matches the leaked footage almost perfectly. Six wheels, mounted turret, enough armor to make even a Fleshmob think twice (alright, too far maybe, but you get the point).
A proper APC would change how squads approach missions entirely. No more sprinting across open ground, hoping that Illuminate Watcher doesn’t spot you. Just roll up in style and let the turret do the talking.
When Armor Design Gets Unhinged
Örström’s other concepts reveal just how weird things could have gotten. His armor collection includes designs that range from tactical to completely unhinged. The standout piece? A shirtless Helldiver wearing only a cape and what can only be described as an oversized chicken helmet.
Yes, a chicken helmet. On a soldier supposedly fighting for democracy across the galaxy.
The absurdity fits perfectly with everything else about Super Earth’s military doctrine. These are the same people who name weapons things like “Reprimand” and “Constitution” while sending teenagers to fight giant bugs. A chicken helmet isn’t that much of a stretch.
The variety in these concepts explains why some warbonds feel so random. If the studio is pulling from years of accumulated artwork, the mix of serious military gear and comedy props starts making sense. Someone at Arrowhead clearly spent time thinking about what happens when you let democracy run wild in the design department.
These armor concepts might be sitting in a vault somewhere, waiting for the right moment to traumatize the player base. The chicken helmet alone would probably (read: definitely) outsell half the current cosmetics.
Think the APC will actually make it into the game, or is Arrowhead keeping vehicles intentionally limited? And honestly, would you wear the chicken helmet into battle? Let us know in the comments below!
