With just a week left in its two-week campaign, Steamforged has far surpassed its goal for Helldivers 2: The Board Game. This tactical action game for one to four players has already hit more than 2,000% of its original target, raking in an impressive $1.6 million. Backers can expect their games sometime in 2026. However, there’s an interesting development on the horizon regarding pre-ordering these boxes of fun. A warning about the Trump administration’s new tariffs on imported goods has been highlighted.
If you’ve ever backed a crowdfunding campaign, you’re probably used to the standard talk about risks and challenges. Steamforged keeps it straightforward, noting their resilience over the years. They’ve weathered the storm of the pandemic and other hurdles to deliver not just what was promised, but more. There’s also a section discussing refunds and cancellations. Steamforged is participating in Gamefound’s Stable Pledge program, which promises a full refund if any price changes exceed 10% after the campaign ends. You can learn more about this unique feature of the Gamefound ecosystem on their website.
Interestingly, there’s an extensive list of shipping destinations—around 60 countries—where this British company plans to deliver its game. Committing to deliver a yet-to-be-finalized game by next year across so many nations is no small feat. It showcases Steamforged’s expertise in logistics. Clearly, they’re not new to this game and have proven they can deliver time and again.
But just below that shipping promise, there’s an eye-catching paragraph. It highlights a looming challenge:
> With the existing uncertainty around U.S. tariffs, it’s difficult to predict the scenario when the game is set to ship in late 2026. At this moment, we can’t guarantee U.S. tariffs will be accounted for under our current customs-free pledge. However, we’re committed to doing what’s best for our backers. We’ve been covering all duties for our ongoing campaigns and will continue to evaluate each project individually.
This is far from a straightforward guarantee. It’s a heads-up that the current administration’s policies are shaking up the long-standing practices within the board game industry. President Trump’s widespread tariffs—essentially taxes on imported goods—might spike the cost of bringing in board games like Helldivers 2 by over 100% of their production expenses. You, the consumer, might have to shoulder part or even all of that extra cost.
Let’s be clear: Steamforged isn’t at fault here. On the contrary, they’re being transparent, providing an honest outlook to potential consumers and collaborators on this thrilling project. This is the new norm for U.S.-based consumers. From now on, scrutinizing crowdfunding campaigns will become more crucial than ever.
Correction: If tariffs apply, they will impact the unit production cost of the board game, not its retail price. The article has been updated to reflect this clarification.
