Helldivers 2 rocked by "rogue item" promising new Stratagems, dev tells players to avoid "Catalog Expansion" upgrade or who knows what could happen

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Sony) TheHelldivers 2community is once again wrestling with the satirical tone of the game and its development team, struggling to glean legitimate information as Arrowhead cautions all democracy enjoyers to “avoid” a “rogue item” in the ship management store called “Catalog Expansion.” Earlier today, Helldivers 2 players noticed a new entry in the Ship Module section of the Ship Management terminal. The new Catalog Expansion upgrade is tied to the bridge of your ship, and its description says it brings “new Stratagem permits added to the ship management terminal for purchase.” (Image credit: Sony)While it’s not the catalog expansion, newHelldivers 2 Ship Moduleshave been added, offering further improvements to certain Stratagems. (Image credit: Sony)While it’s not the catalog expansion, newHelldivers 2 Ship Moduleshave been added, offering further improvements to certain Stratagems. (Image credit: Sony) While it’s not the catalog expansion, newHelldivers 2 Ship Moduleshave been added, offering further improvements to certain Stratagems. The thing is, this upgrade doesn’t actually seem to exist. It’s still live at the time of writing, but I’ve not seen any reports of anyone successfully purchasing it or noticing any other changes, plus the text for its upgrade effect is totally blank and instead just auto-fills from whatever upgrade you previously selected. It also doesn’t list any affected Stratagems, so it’s a bit of a dud for now. The question is, whatkindof dud? A remnant of cut content, a sign of a patch still to come, a simple bug, or a deliberate teaser? Helldivers 2 community manager Baskinator addressed this odd outlier in a post to the game’s official Discord. Her full message reads: “The Ministry of Truth has confirmation that a rogue item called the ‘Catalog expansion’ is temporarily visible in the Ship Management menu and, in accordance with regulations, we instruct all Helldivers to avoid this rogue item until further notice. The Ministry of Truth cannot confirm the reliability or safety of this item, nor can they confirm its origin.” My initial read is that this is indeed an unintended entry that somehow surfaced as a result of a recent patch. After all, it’s only “temporarily” visible. Besides, players have never had to unlock new Stratagems like this, and it seems odd that such a Catalog Expansion would be locked behind three other bridge upgrades. It’s entirely probable that it is simply a relic of past development ideas. But as ever, I’m not 100% confident that it’s that simple. Were we never supposed to see this, or were we not supposed to see thisyet? Or were we supposed to see it now and speculate in exactly this way? Seriously though: I think it’s just a bug. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more “I can’t say what the Ministry would do to Helldivers who don’t follow instructions,” Baskinator told one player who asked what might happen if we were, hypothetically, to instead run screaming at the Catalog Expansion upgrade instead of avoiding it. Act at your own risk, Helldiver. I won’t tell Super Earth if you don’t. If you’re wondering what that satirical tone looks like when it’s very obvious, well,Helldivers 2 players just got a well-deserved giftafter taking out the entire Automaton faction (for now): “An extra 1-minute break,” minus the time it took to read this. 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Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: 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above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”