Helldivers 2 Hacker Is Unexpected Inspiration For Brilliant Update Strategy

screenrant.com:

Hackers are wreaking havoc on , but could be setting a great precedent for the game's future updates. Hacking hasn't been too great a problem for Super Earth for very long, with the game's sometimes overactive anti-cheat features even prompting some players to skip on PC. But in recent days, a small group of rogue hackers have found a way around its anti-cheat. And they've been making use of exploits to give other players an unfair advantage.

It may just be a regular old case of cheating, but these hackers have mysterious origins. And with the obfuscating motives of 's game master controlling the galactic war from behind the scenes, some players have questioned whether there is really a hacking epidemic, or something a little more complicated. There may not be any clear answers yet, but the developers are certain to take notice of these hackers' activities, and could use them to inspire future updates and rollouts of new content.

As reported by , hackers have been joining players' games, dropping in unreleased Stratagems seemingly at random, and then disappearing from the lobby. In one video, posted to X (formerly Twitter) by @Helldiversmedia, the hackers masquerade as Arrowhead Game Studios employees — specifically, game master Joel — before spawning a tank and abruptly leaving the game.

Players report the unreleased content mostly consists of vehicles, a much-requested feature for that has yet to be officially confirmed. The proof is in the pudding, though: these hackers demonstrate that vehicles will eventually be a part of the formula, even if the top brass at Arrowhead Game Studios have yet to say so.

But went on to investigate the hackers directly, messaging them on Steam to ask about their intentions. One individual claimed to be posing as Joel in the clip above, and explained that they were simply promoting their business. This player says that others pay them to cheat. They're merely drumming up publicity by dropping freebies into random players' games.