Helldivers 2 roadmap, leaks, content and future updates

Helldivers 2 roadmap updates, future content and leaks about things to come have slowed down in the last couple of months, but there's still plenty on the way, including hints of the Illuminate (but aren't there always), as well as the confirmed and impending Escalation of Freedom update. Not only that, but HD2 has historically had a pattern of introducing new elements and content without warning - new enemies like the Helldivers 2 Shriekers being a prime example. Still, a lot of what's to come is either revealed in leaks and datamines through the community, or openly teased and trailered in advance of them coming later.

With that in mind, I've gathered all the info that's currently out there regarding future content updates for Helldivers 2 on this page, with both officially confirmed updates for the roadmap ahead, and those suggested by leaks and datamines.

Confirmed Helldivers 2 roadmap and future content updates

Below we've listed all the future content coming to Helldivers 2 that has been confirmed by developer Arrowhead, or announced in an official capacity.

• Escalation of Freedom update. This major update scheduled for 6 August will introduce numerous gameplay features, including a higher difficulty rating to play on, new mission types, larger enemy outposts and biomes, and the returning "Impaler" Terminid from the first game. There'll also be new Terminid and Automaton variant enemies: the Spore Charger, the Alpha Commander, and the Rocket Tank, as well as a swamp biome, and some systems in play to prevent grief kicking as a practice.
• Future Warbond battle passes. Helldivers 2 used to output monthly battle passes and "Premium Warbonds", but has slowed down release of them since the Helldivers 2 Viper Commandos warbond came out. Still, that doesn't mean that they're over - there'll just be longer time lapses between each one, and Arrowhead has said that there will still be further warbonds in the future.

If people want an official Helldivers 2 roadmap, a timeline of updates to come, then you're out of luck: there isn't one. Or, to be more accurate, there isn't one anymore. The last known comment on such was a Tweet by Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt, who said that a roadmap had existed at one point, but was "very out of date in comparison to what we now want to do" - and a new one was being worked on. Whether that new one will be publicly released or just kept in-house as a framing for future content is still something we're waiting to find out.

It's also worth saying that Helldivers 2 doesn't always officially announce new content in advance, sometimes only making obscure teases or allowing information to spill into the public sphere to wind up hype on a more informal level. Point us, don't expect a trailer for every update, or even a Twitter post - Arrowhead seem to be playing things more unconventionally than that.

Datamined and leaked future content updates for Helldivers 2

Below we've listed plausible - but not officially confirmed - future content for Helldivers 2, hinted at either by unofficial leaks or by datamined elements within the game's files. However, it's worth putting these into perspective - just because a game file or leak suggests a new mechanic or feature doesn't necessarily guarantee that it's coming.

Sorry to disappoint, but it's entirely possible that the feature was in development at some point in the past, but later cancelled, leaving unfinished junk files still within the game. So while it's definitely worth keeping that in mind, the existence of datamined files and leaks does elevate the following possible updates to something more than mere rumour or wishful thinking.

• Drivable vehicles (thanks to Twitter user @TheRealJTV4K60) that can be operated by multiple players, somewhat similar to the Warthog in Halo.
• Support NPCs (thanks to Reddit user u/TwasAllABadDream) that can be called in during a game to aid the players in combat - effectively summoning a platoon of Helldivers,  but AI-controlled, rather than player-controlled.
• A new faction, the Illuminate (thanks to Reddit user u/stodal). The Illuminate were psychic aliens that were one of the enemy factions in the first Helldivers. They're mentioned in-game by NPCs, but not something you can fight at time of writing. However, there's some indication in the game's files that they'll be brought back to join the other Helldivers 2 factions. Blue lights regularly occurring in different players games are being read as many as a teaser for a suspected Helldivers 2 Illuminate update to come.

Beyond these elements, new content to come has only been spoken about in broad, vague terminology that makes it hard to specify exactly what players should expect, like simply referring in general terms to new enemies and weapons - though what forms those things take remain to be seen.

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