Hell Divers 2 – Bringing Your Legacy to Life with Custom Skull Badges

If you’ve played Helldivers 2, you know just how intense, chaotic, and downright addictive the game can be. Since its release in February 2024, it’s become a favorite for gamers who love immersive, team-based combat in a sprawling intergalactic war. As a longtime fan of Helldivers 1, I was immediately drawn into the action of Helldivers 2. The game’s strategic depth and its player-driven lore hooked me instantly, and like millions of other players, I was soon living through epic in-game moments that I wanted to remember forever.

That’s where the idea for the Helldivers 2 Skull Badges came from. These badges are a tribute to the unforgettable experiences I’ve had in the game, from the chaotic battles to the more strategic victories. And just like a soldier commemorating their most daring missions, I wanted something tangible to immortalize those moments.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the entire creation process of these custom Helldivers 2 Skull Badges—from the initial idea to the 3D sculpting and customization. More time will be given to the inspiration process because I believe that today many young artists including myself struggle to find way to inspire and motivate themselves enough to start and continue a project to its successful end.

I will also be showcasing the various tools and modifiers I used with the videos I used from youtube with which I learned how to use thes tools.

If you’ve ever had a moment in the game that you wanted to memorialize, you can even order your own personalized Helldivers 2 Skull Badge from https://dressart3d.com.

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Finding Inspiration: Turning Helldivers 2 Lore Into Tangible Memories

The most inspiring part of Helldivers 2 is its player-driven lore. Every battle, every victory, and every defeat adds to the unfolding story of the Helldivers’ fight for the Managed Democracy of Super Earth. I’ve been part of many memorable events, such as the conquest of Malevelon Creek and the Corporate War with Sony, where players’ actions shaped the fate of entire planets.

But how could I translate these moments into something physical, that you can hold in your hand and instantly remember? As a longtime miniature painter and 3D designer, I knew I had the skills to create something special. I started thinking about what soldiers use to commemorate their service: medals, patches, and badges. The idea clicked.

I scoured the in-game artwork for Helldivers 2, hoping to find references to existing badges or symbols. While there weren’t any specific designs to work from, the iconic Helldivers Skull Logo stood out as the perfect foundation for a custom badge. It’s a striking symbol, seen on uniforms, armor, and gear throughout the game. But, there was a challenge—the skull logo is flat, which makes transforming it into a 3D object tricky.

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The 3D Design Process: Bringing the Helldivers 2 Skull Badge to Life

Step 1: Turning a 2D Logo into a 3D Design

The first obstacle was taking the flat skull logo and transforming it into a 3D shape. I wanted to preserve the sharp, distinctive edges of the logo while giving it depth and character. To do this, I began by converting the 2D logo into a flat mesh using Blender 3d.

From there, I extruded the logo’s outline in the z axis, to create a 3D shape. However, this was just the starting point. The logo still lacked the organic curves and details that would make it stand out as a true representation of the Helldivers’ skull.

 Step 2: Combining the Skull Logo with a 3D Human Skull

To add dimension, I imported a free-to-use 3D model of a human skull into Blender. I then used Blender’s Boolean Modifier to merge the human skull’s facial features with the sharp outline of the Helldivers logo. This was a delicate process because I wanted the skull to fit within the logo’s stencil while retaining the signature look of the flat edges of the  logo.

After resizing I placed the skull model on top of the skull logo and using the sculpting tools to shape the skull to match the logo, I began refining the details. Using Blender’s sculpting tools, I ensured the sharp edges and smooth contours blended seamlessly. Once completed, the badge retained the familiar edged shape of the Helldivers skull logo but had the depth and detail of a fully realized 3D model.  Once this was done I further extruded the logo downwards in the z axis to cover all the rest of the back skull that I did not want.  Once covered I simply added a Boolean modifier which cut out the back skull.  This left the flat back surface skull badge with the 3d facing skull face encased in the sharp edges of the skull logo.

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Personalizing the Helldivers 2 Skull Badges: Making Each Badge Unique

While the 3D skull design was a great start, I wanted to give each badge a personal touch. One of the things that make Helldivers 2 so special is that players create their own lore through their actions. So, I knew that each badge should be customizable to reflect the player’s unique experience in the game.

 Step 1: Adding Names and Event Dates to the Helldiver 2 badges

To personalize each badge, I decided to include the player’s name, the name of their super destroyer ship, and the specific lore event they wanted to remember. I also wanted to include the date of the event, giving each badge a time-stamped tribute to the player’s achievement.

Using Blender3d, I typed out the names and details and converted the text into a 3D mesh. Then Again I extruded the mesh in the z axis. I positioned the text on the forehead of the skull and used the Boolean Modifier again to engrave the text into the surface. This ensured that the names were embedded into the design, creating a clean and professional look when printed.

Helldiver 2 Logo work in progress @ Dressart3d.com

Step 2: Adding Visual Elements to Reflect the Lore Helldivers 2 player driven loge

The final step in customizing the badges was adding small details that connected each badge to a specific event in the Helldivers 2 lore.

Let me give you 3 examples from the 3 badges I produced so far.

The conquest of Malevlon Creek.  On this badge I did not Boolean nothing at first, but I had the idea of painting a side of it with yellow hexagons which represented the personal shield bubble which players (creekers) used quite extensively during the campaign to conquer the planet.

The Corporate War with Sony.  At that time the Sony wanted all the players to sing in with them to be able to play the game.  The only way the players had to fight sonly was to review bomb the game on Steam which at that them was sky high in review popularity.  This is wat the players did, and the game’s reviews went way down to then come back up when Sony did not impose the sign in.  The graph you see on that skull is the direct copy of the revies in those day.  Which I recreated into a mesh and again used a Boolean modifier to impose it on the skull’s left eye.

Helldiver 2 Logo work in progress @ Dressart3d.com

The fall of Meridian which was turned in a black hole to prevent the super bug colonies from spreading.  All that was left of Meridia was a swirling black hole of purple and white highlighted edges.   This was a very difficult one to represent and create.  I spent day thinking but finally I came up with a working idea.  What on earth has such a circular movement?  Come one think about it.   The Answer is a hurricane or tornado.  It was so that I began looking at tornado and hurricane weather maps and luckily, I found one in logo from that I could transform in a mesh that once again I superimposed on the skull badge’s left eye to cut out with a Boolean modifier.

Helldiver 2 Logo work in progress @ Dressart3d.com

Each badge I’ve created so far has these unique touches, making them instantly recognizable to players familiar with the game’s lore.

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Overcoming Challenges in the Creation Process

As with any creative project, the process of designing and producing these Helldivers 2 Skull Badges came with its own set of challenges.

One of the biggest hurdles was managing the 3D printing process. I chose to print the badges using an FDM filament printer, which excels at sharp edges and clean lines. However, FDM printing often leaves visible layer lines, so I spent time sanding and preparing the badges before painting them.

Another challenge was ensuring that the text and engraved details remained clear after printing and painting. I used a technique called impression painting, where I carefully applied paint to the engraved areas to make the text stand out without obscuring the fine details.

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Bringing the Helldivers 2 Badges to Life with Paint

Once the badges were printed, the next step was to bring them to life with paint. I treated the badges just like I would any miniature model, using careful layering techniques to achieve a smooth finish. This time these techniques were nearly all applied with an airbrush because the badges are all 12cm large models.  Details where then done with a paint brush.

I started by priming each badge, followed by base coats of the main colors. Then came the fun part: highlighting and shading the badges to make the engraved text and details pop. This was my favorite part because it’s where the badges really came alive.

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Get Your Own Custom Helldivers 2 Skull Badge

I’ve had a blast creating these Helldivers 2 Skull Badges, and now, I want to offer you the chance to get one personalized for your own in-game experiences. Whether you’ve led your team to victory in a major battle or survived an impossible mission, you can commemorate that moment with a custom badge.

You can order your personalized Helldivers 2 Skull Badge with your name, event date, Super destroyer name, and any lore you want to remember. If you’d like more information or need help designing your own, feel free to contact us at https://dressart3d.com. We also offer professionally painted miniatures for tabletop gaming—perfect if you don’t have the time or experience to paint your own but still want something stunning to show off.

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Final Thoughts: Immortalize Your Helldivers 2 Legacy

Creating these Helldivers 2 Skull Badges has been an incredible journey, combining my love for 3D design, miniature painting, and gaming. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of Helldivers 2 or just someone who enjoys capturing the memories of epic gaming moments, these badges are a great way to immortalize your personal gaming history.

So, what’s your Helldivers 2 story? Contact us at https://dressart3d.com to create a personalized badge that commemorates your place and gives you a real tangible momentum in the Helldivers universe

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Thanks with a Gift!

Thanks for sticking with this long read.  If you managed to arrive to this point I sincerely think that you found this reading an interesting one and I really appreciate it.  As a small token for your interest, may I remind you that if you simply create an account with our online show you will be instantly given a one time, no expiry 10% Discount Coupon.  You will be able to find it in the coupon section of the My Account Section in the links section above.

Thanks for appreciating our Art!