The freedom in tabletop roleplaying games is truly limitless. While video games like Baldur's Gate 3 do an impressive job of simulating the tabletop experience, they still fall short of the boundless creativity that game masters and players can achieve around a physical table. But this gap may soon be closing.

Many of you might be familiar with the game Helldivers 2, a team-based, third-person shooter developed by Arrowhead Game Studios. In it, you control elite soldiers dropped onto hostile planets to battle swarms of enemies. The game draws clear inspiration from the 1997 satirical sci-fi classic Starship Troopers, with both sharing a darkly comedic take on militaristic regimes fighting against hordes of insectoid aliens.

But what really sets Helldivers 2 apart from most video games is its innovative use of a Game Master—yes, an actual person. At Arrowhead Game Studios, there's someone whose job title is literally "Game Master" (known as Joel), and his role is to directly shape and interfere with in-game events. Whether it's influencing large-scale narrative arcs for millions of players or tweaking the experience for a small group, the Game Master has the power to dynamically alter the game. For example, if a group of players becomes too successful, the Game Master might spice things up by dropping a few unexpected bosses on them, just for the thrill of it.