Moo Deng is welcome everywhere, especially Helldivers 2: "Protection Order for pygmy hippos implemented" by the one and only General Brasch

Helldivers 2 Chemical Agents warbond screenshot, showing two Helldivers running away from a green fog.
(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)

World-famous zoo animal Moo Deng can now add "Helldivers 2 sweetheart" to her long list of accomplishments. The young pygmy hippo, who went viral in September for being adorable, is now an official part of the co-op third-person shooter thanks to a new set of patch notes. 

In Patch 1.001.103, posted on Steam on October 1, developer Arrowhead names a few miscellaneous fixes, among other balance changes. Like, helldivers wearing heavy armor are no longer immune to gas status effects, some enemy audio has been made more perceptible, and there has been a "General Brasch-issued Protection Order for pygmy hippos implemented (The Moo Deng Accord)." 

I'm glad to see the Moo Deng Accord finally signed into effect — I was worried that the hippo would get stuck inside a tank or something. One of her relatives, Final Fantasy 14's Hippo Calf minion, has recently been seen enjoying the fresh grass in Eorzea, and I wished Moo Deng the same peaceful future. 

But, for her to have it, it's important that Moo Deng receives enforced protection from Super Earth's "oldest and most grizzled war hero" General Brasch, whose voice guides the Helldiver Training test. 

Her species is severely endangered. And, though Moo Deng enjoys bath time and carrots in Thailand's Khao Kheow Open Zoo, where she lives, other pygmy hippos aren't so lucky. According to the San Diego Zoo, there are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos left living in their native West African environment, thanks to all the deforestation and hunting around them. Now, if only General Brasch could plant a couple of trees too…

You can't keep Moo Deng for yourself, so Final Fantasy 14 players are swarming the MMO's Hippo Calf minion instead – and even Square Enix has caught the fever.

Ashley Bardhan
Contributor

Ashley Bardhan is a critic from New York who covers gaming, culture, and other things people like. She previously wrote Inverse’s award-winning Inverse Daily newsletter. Then, as a Kotaku staff writer and Destructoid columnist, she covered horror and women in video games. Her arts writing has appeared in a myriad of other publications, including Pitchfork, Gawker, and Vulture.