The shooter involved in the Charlie Kirk incident may have etched a Helldivers code onto the bullet casing.

      Fans of the Helldivers video game have proposed a theory regarding Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson after Utah Governor Spencer Cox pointed out that one of the bullets in the rifle believed to be used in the shooting had engravings of an "up arrow, right arrow, and three down arrows."

      “He f-ing engraved Helldivers commands on his bullets,” tweeted Mark Kern, a gaming CEO and designer known for his work on World of Warcraft, Diablo 2, Starcraft, Firefall, and other popular games.

      In Helldivers, a well-known shooter game created by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the sequence of arrows signifies a 500kg bomb, which is capable of annihilating nearly any target upon impact.

      The companies did not respond immediately to requests for comment on Friday.

      Helldivers Fans Disgusted by Link to Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Tyler Robinson

      Cox mentioned during a news conference that several unfired bullets were discovered in a bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel and left in the woods near the site of Kirk’s murder on Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

      “The inscriptions on the three unfired casings say ‘Hey, fascist! Catch!’” he stated, adding there was an “Up arrow, right arrow, and three down arrows.”

      He did not connect this to the Helldivers game, which has received positive feedback for both its gameplay and story: the game and its sequel, Helldivers 2, are set in a dystopian future where humanity is governed by a “managed democracy,” providing an illusion of freedom.

      Both Helldivers and Helldivers 2, similar to the 1997 film Starship Troopers, ironically incorporate fascist imagery to illustrate the horrors of fascism.

      Many game fans expressed their revulsion at any association with the suspect.

      “Screw that guy, he does *not* represent the HD community,” commented one fan on X.

      “Helldivers do not endorse that sick f—,” wrote another.

      Some critics, tracing back to the Columbine school shootings in 1999, have attempted to blame video games for such violence, but the Entertainment Software Association has long contended that there is no correlation, arguing that blaming games “distracts from discussions about real solutions to America’s broader gun violence issue.”

      It is also important to note that viewing video games as a fringe form of entertainment is outdated—the gaming industry surpasses the combined revenue of the film and music industries, as highlighted by MarketWatch.

      Tyler Robinson’s mugshot

      Other bullet casings found in the rifle believed to have been used against Kirk reportedly featured the Italian song “Bella ciao,” a song embraced by anti-fascists who opposed dictator Benito Mussolini.

      Little information is available about Robinson, 22, whose father is a law enforcement officer in Utah. However, Cox mentioned that Robinson’s roommate shared with investigators messages on Discord where Robinson discussed obtaining a rifle.

      Cox also stated Robinson had recently talked about Kirk at a family dinner, noting Kirk's upcoming visit to UVU.

      “They discussed their dislike for him and the views he held,” Cox remarked.

      Robinson expressed at the dinner that “Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate,” according to a family member, as per Cox.

      On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that “investigators found ammunition engraved with phrases reflecting transgender and antifascist ideologies within the rifle thought to be used in the deadly shooting of Charlie Kirk.”

      However, The New York Times later reported that a “senior law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the investigation” urged caution regarding the engraving claims. The engravings mentioned in Cox’s news conference did not include references to “transgender” ideology.

      Tyler Robinson is currently held in Utah County Jail on several preliminary charges, including aggravated murder, according to CNN. President Trump and others have called for the shooter to receive the death penalty.

      Main image: Helldivers merchandise from Fangamer.