Helldivers 2 Receives Mysterious Steam Update Named “gameplay_illuminates,” Leaving Players Confused Over Its Authenticity

Helldivers 2 and its long-anticipated third faction, the Illuminate from the first game, have been part of our gaming convos for what seems like forever. Now, there’s fresh buzz around this, thanks to a recent Steam depot update intriguingly named “gameplay_illuminates.”

I’m not kidding you here. For reasons only Arrowhead knows, they’ve gone for this straightforward title, much like the way they handle things on the Democracy Space Station. This update has naturally fired up discussions about these guys we expected might appear in the Galactic War, especially after the whole Meridia incident.

A sharp-eyed Helldivers 2 fan, known online as Dangerous-Return5937, highlighted that SteamDB showed a depot update today, unmistakably titled “gameplay_illuminates.” There’s no further info about what this name implies—whether it’s a nod to the long-awaited Illuminates or hints at when they might join the game.

This name is out there for anyone to see, so it’s not technically a leak, depending on where you stand on such things. The community is abuzz, with some folks getting their hopes up and others adopting a “wait and see” stance, while a few are scratching their heads in confusion.

People pointing out the oddity think if it is about the Illuminates, it’s strange Arrowhead would opt for such a blatant name. Other recent updates have carried less straightforward titles like “studio_playtest” and “gameplay_worlds,” alongside cryptic ones like “mimosa,” “orion,” and “wushu,” which understandably stir less speculation.

One moderator on the HD2 subreddit commented, “Arrowhead might be inviting such speculation by labeling the update that way.” Nonetheless, there’s a belief among some fans that the studio might be having a bit of fun, possibly trolling. As one user mused, “Can’t wait for it to be just a tweak in the game’s lighting and watch everyone face-palming.”

For now, it seems wise to temper our excitement. Even if this does pertain to the Illuminate, it doesn’t guarantee they’ll be joining us anytime soon. But I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this whole scenario—drop your comments below!