With simply seven days to go in an abbreviated two-week marketing campaign, Steamforged has greater than met its aim for Helldivers 2: The Board Sport. At time of writing the marketing campaign for the one-to-four-player tactical motion recreation has achieved greater than 2,000% of its said aim, strolling in on the equal of $1.6 million. Supply is promised a while in 2026. However look intently and also you’ll see one thing new on the earth of pre-ordering bins of plastic and cardboard — a be aware of warning concerning the Trump administration’s new tariffs on imported items.
When you’ve backed a crowdfunding marketing campaign earlier than, you’re seemingly acquainted with the now customary assertion on dangers and challenges. Steamforged’s entry right here is pretty mild, with a be aware about how they soldiered on for years now, by the pandemic and different pitfalls, to ship what they promised after which some to their backers. Beneath that you just’ve obtained a be aware on refunds and cancellations. Steamforged has opted into Gamefound’s Steady Pledge program, which in its personal phrases “ensures a full refund to backers if the change in any value estimates after the marketing campaign’s finish is larger than 10%.” You may learn extra about this novel a part of the Gamefound ecosystem at their web site.
Scroll up a bit and also you’ll additionally discover a prolonged part on transport, which lists notes about all of the nations the place this British firm is keen to ship its wares. It’s an enormous checklist, with round 60 totally different nations the place the sport could be delivered. For a crowdfunding marketing campaign for a recreation that hasn’t even been utterly completed but, and which is because of ship no later than subsequent yr, that’s an enormous dedication. It speaks to the corporate’s expertise with logistics as properly. They’ve carried out this earlier than, they usually’ll seemingly do it once more.
However then there’s the paragraph that comes instantly beneath that:
With the present uncertainty round US tariffs, there’s no approach to totally predict what the state of affairs will likely be when this recreation ships in late 2026. Proper now, we will’t make certain US tariffs will likely be lined by our customs-free aim. Nevertheless, we all the time try to do what’s greatest for our backers. We’ve been protecting all duties for the campaigns we’re presently fulfilling, and we’ll proceed to evaluate initiatives on a case-by-case foundation.
That is the other of a promise. It’s, in reality, a warning that the present administration is behaving in unpredictable methods, methods which are counter to established practices which were in place within the board recreation world for many years. President Trump’s wide-ranging tariffs, that are a tax on imported items, may probably increase the price of imported board video games, too — probably together with Helldivers 2: The Board Sport — by greater than 100% of their manufacturing value. And if it does, you the buyer could also be known as upon to pay a few of that distinction. Or, maybe, all of that distinction.
Don’t get it twisted: I’m not pointing a finger of blame at Steamforged right here. Removed from it. In truth, I feel this is a wonderful and simply assertion of truth, one that offers honest warning to would-be customers and collaborators on an already thrilling mission. However, for U.S.-based customers that is the brand new actuality that we dwell in. Get able to learn your crowdfunding campaigns much more intently going ahead.
Correction: Tariffs, ought to the be utilized to a board recreation as described above, could be utilized to the unit manufacturing value of the board recreation — not the retail worth. We’ve adjusted the article to mirror that.