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The popular YouTube channel The Game Theorists have created a fan theory centered around Fallout 4 that claims that, rather than eradicating irradiated monsters or simply starting a new government and making a go of things, the best course of action is… Improving mental health.

The theory points out that, from the time of the nuclear event that destroyed modern society, over 210 years have passed within the story’s canon. This prompts the question- Why hasn’t society fixed itself yet? In addition to providing examples of real-world growth and expansion in shorter time frames, it is also pointed out that many pockets of pre-war technology still exist. Even the remnants of the United States government, known in the Fallout franchise as the Enclave, continue to follow contingency plans created before the nuclear event. Eventually, the theory asserts that society can’t yet rebuild itself simply because the residents of the world’s wastelands cannot cooperate with one another. The reason given for this inability to cooperate is severely poor mental health, with “wastelanders” suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and schizophrenia, aggravated by radiation exposure.

So if all the efforts made by these fictional groups, such as the Brotherhood of Steel, the New California Republic, the Institute, the Commonwealth Minutemen, and many others besides, are doomed to fail, then what is the solution to rebuilding society? Self-medication, in order to make the minds of people living within the wasteland healthy again.

The theory draws several of its conclusions all the way back to a concept known as the “social contract,” a relationship between governments and citizens that has been explained by thinkers such as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The social contract implies that citizens voluntarily give up some personal freedoms to a larger governing body, which then organizes and protects the citizens. It is the fact that governments require citizens to voluntarily concede rights that then jeopardizes the post-nuclear society, as individuals or small groups no longer trust any larger governing body enough to make decisions on their behalf. The theory calls to attention the effects of surviving disasters, and specifically nuclear disasters: Not only are 25-75% of disaster victims able to be affected by PTSD, radiation exposure, such as the case with the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, makes victims up to five times more likely to suffer from schizophrenia due to learning and memory impairment.

The theory states that ingame factions cannot adequately rebuild society because each faction focuses on larger, more unsustainable courses of action, genocide of unstable wasteland humans and creatures a particularly nefarious example. What should be focused on instead should be assisting the residents of the wasteland to become more mentally stable, particularly through usage of antidepressant and antipsychotic medication. While it may seem a strange and rather clinical view, the theory proposes that fixing “people on the micro scale” rather than “society on the macro scale” is the best course of action for rebuilding society, whether fictional or, even scarier, nonfictional, is to reestablish the mental health of individuals following the end of the world.
Watch the theory for yourself:

 

Gaming

Helldivers are angry at Arrowhead because the community manager was fired without due process

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Throughout history, it has become evident that, in the face of tyranny, those who cherish liberty and democracy will stop at nothing to defend them. They will fight relentlessly, using every last round of ammunition and shedding the final drop of blood. In a stunning turn of events, it appears that developer Arrowhead is facing a potential revolution, as previously loyal Helldivers 2 players who once supported the developer are now expressing their outrage. They passionately advocate for justice and the inclusion of the undemocratically dismissed community manager, who has affectionately been nicknamed “General” Spitz, into the official in-game lore.

In typical fashion, an overnight Change.org petition (courtesy of RPS) has garnered nearly 4,500 signatures at the time of writing. This is an attempt to make Arrowhead reevaluate their decision to let go of Spitz, a community manager who has been an integral part of the community since the game’s release. In the midst of the PC/PSN account linking debacle, Spitz, like a game critic sensing the winds of fate, rallied the community on Discord (as seen on Twitter) to express their discontent through reviews, refunds, and other means. It enhances our influence in the discussions with Sony. They completely disregard our discord.

After the chaos subsided the following day (yesterday), Spitz addressed the community, describing this action as “almost.” It hasn’t exactly resulted in their termination. Shortly after, a final transmission was confirmed where Spitz disclosed that they had been released, expressing their resilience by saying, “Every war has its casualties.”

On May 7, 2024, around 11:45 PST, the Helldivers Discord community made an interesting discovery. It seems that the community manager, Spitz, had been unexpectedly removed from his position, and any evidence of his previous involvement in the discord was completely wiped out. This incident seems to have ignited a revolution, with Helldivers demanding the immediate reinstatement of Spitz and his immortalization in the game for his self-sacrifice.

“We strongly advocate for the official canonization of General Spitz in Helldivers lore. Embracing the spirit of liberation. Supporting democracy. For the betterment of the game and its devoted community.

It’s interesting to see how this situation unfolds. Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt himself commends the determination of players in the Sony showdown, but there seems to be a hint of contradiction here. “General” Spitz provided us with some thought-provoking words to ponder: “I was well aware of the potential consequences when I made my statement about refunding and altering reviews; nevertheless, I remain steadfast in my position. I fulfilled my role as a representative of the community, just as I was expected to.

Spitz is no longer the Community Manager.
byu/Tabub inHelldivers

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Ciri from The Witcher expresses her hope that fans will give Liam Hemsworth a fair chance in his portrayal of Geralt

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Netflix’s The Witcher has been at the forefront of the recent trend of video game IP transitioning to TV, alongside HBO’s The Last of Us and Amazon’s Fallout adaptations. In 2022, it was announced that Henry Cavill would be stepping away from his role after Season 3, making way for Australian actor Liam Hemsworth to become The White Wolf in Season 4.

In an interview with Collider (courtesy of Eurogamer), Freya Allen, the actress who plays Ciri in the series, has reached out to fans who may find the change to be a challenge. Allen expressed his view of the situation, acknowledging that it may not be ideal and that fans can be quite critical. He mentioned that he doesn’t want to speak on behalf of Hemsworth, but based on his understanding, it seems like Hemsworth is aiming to inject some heartfelt elements into the project. I’m eagerly anticipating his performance after all that training. And he’s truly a delightful individual. I hope people give him a fair chance, you know?

It’s unclear why Henry Cavill decided to depart from the show, despite his previous commitment to stay for the entire seven seasons if needed. Netflix has announced that The Witcher has been renewed for a fifth season, which will be the final installment of the series.

 

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CEO of Helldivers 2 commends the remarkable determination displayed by the community during the intense Sony showdown

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The experience for Helldivers 2 players has been quite turbulent lately, and we’re referring to a community that is accustomed to leaping from great heights into the most intense and terrifying battlegrounds imaginable. In the midst of a highly debated PSN account requirement for PC players and facing intense backlash, Sony has made a surprising reversal, yielding to the overwhelming force of public opinion. The CEO of Arrowhead, Johan Pilestedt, has displayed an intriguing attitude throughout this challenging period. He has shown remarkable composure, actively engaging with community managers and experiencing the difficulties they face firsthand.

Pilestedt expressed his admiration for the community’s determination and praised their ability to work together on Twitter, following Sony’s reversal. He sarcastically expressed gratitude towards Sony for their “prompt and efficient choice to make PSN linking optional.”

In the future, Pilestedt expressed his vision of working closely with PlayStation and the players to establish a groundbreaking benchmark for the concept of a live game. The aim is to foster a strong partnership between developers and the community, ultimately resulting in an unparalleled gaming experience.

What are your thoughts on the commotion surrounding Helldivers 2? What are your thoughts on Sony’s involvement, Pilestedt’s attitude, and the community’s reaction? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

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