With just seven days to go in an abbreviated two-week campaign, Steamforged has more than met its goal for Helldivers 2: The Board Game. At time of writing the campaign for the one-to-four-player tactical action game has achieved more than 2,000% of its stated goal, strolling in at the equivalent of $1.6 million. Delivery is promised some time in 2026. But look closely and you’ll see something new in the world of pre-ordering boxes of plastic and cardboard — a note of warning about the Trump administration’s new tariffs on imported goods.
If you’ve backed a crowdfunding campaign before, you’re likely familiar with the now standard statement on risks and challenges. Steamforged’s entry here is fairly light, with a note about how they soldiered on for years now, through the pandemic and other pitfalls, to deliver what they promised and then some to their backers. Below that you’ve got a note on refunds and cancellations. Steamforged has opted into Gamefound’s Stable Pledge program, which in its own words “guarantees a full refund to backers if the change in any price estimates after the campaign’s end is bigger than 10%.” You can read more about this novel part of the Gamefound ecosystem at their website.
Scroll up a bit and you’ll also find a lengthy section on shipping, which lists notes about all the countries where this British company is willing to send its wares. It’s a massive list, with around 60 different countries where the game can be delivered. For a crowdfunding campaign for a game that hasn’t even been completely finished yet, and which is due to ship no later than next year, that’s a massive commitment. It speaks to the company’s experience with logistics as well. They’ve done this before, and they’ll likely do it again.
But then there’s the paragraph that comes immediately below that:
With the current uncertainty around US tariffs, there’s no way to fully predict what the situation will be when this game ships in late 2026. Right now, we can’t be certain US tariffs will be covered by our customs-free goal. However, we always strive to do what’s best for our backers. We’ve been covering all duties for the campaigns we’re currently fulfilling, and we’ll continue to assess projects on a case-by-case basis.
This is the opposite of a promise. It is, in fact, a warning that the current administration is behaving in unpredictable ways, ways that are counter to established practices that have been in place in the board game world for decades. President Trump’s wide-ranging tariffs, which are a tax on imported goods, could potentially raise the cost of imported board games, too — potentially including Helldivers 2: The Board Game — by more than 100% of their retail value. And if it does, you the consumer may be called upon to pay some of that difference. Or, perhaps, all of that difference.
Don’t get it twisted: I’m not pointing a finger of blame at Steamforged here. Far from it. In fact, I think this is an excellent and just statement of fact, one that gives fair warning to would-be consumers and collaborators on an already exciting project. Nevertheless, for U.S.-based consumers this is the new reality that we live in. Get ready to read your crowdfunding campaigns a lot more closely going forward.
