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Helldivers 2 fans can't help but think developer Arrowhead Studio bring back the Illuminate faction from the first title. The highly advanced and civilized race of the Squ'ith may still pose a threat to Super Earth. However, outside of fan theory and analysis, do the developers really plan to add a third faction to the game? Let's find out as we take a deeper look into the Illuminate.
Are The Illuminate Coming To Helldivers 2?
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE: The President of Super Earth has officially recognized this day as Malevelon Creek Memorial Day.
This week, in remembrance, all Helldivers will be issued a special commemorative cape, so they may carry the memory of their fallen companions into battle. pic.twitter.com/y5ai4GXxo7
— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) April 3, 2024
Developer Arrowhead Game Studios has not yet confirmed (or denied) rumors of adding the Illuminate Enemy Faction to Helldivers 2. However, some fans believe that the enemy faction may return.
Recently, fans have found cloaked ships in the skies above Automaton Worlds. Furthermore, HD2 Galaxy, a third-party Helldivers 2 website which keeps track of the war effort, lists Illuminates as one of the possible enemy factions. However, as awesome as these details are, there's no concrete evidence that Illuminate are actually coming to the game.
The funny thing about all this speculation is that fans are having a blast with it. Many fans are “threatening” each other by calling their local Democracy Officer to resolve the situation. Others hilariously suggest its all propaganda made to instill fear to the people of Super Earth.
That said, Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Johan Pilestadt has not denied the rumors of adding Illuminate either. As a vocal leader of the game's development, Pilestadt has kept in constant communication with fans since Helldivers 2 launched in February. While he hasn't mentioned the Illuminate returning, he also has yet to outright deny the rumors.
So… are they coming or not? Well, it's hard to say. But in the meantime, we'll explain to you everything we know about the Illuminate faction from the original Helldivers game.
What are The Illuminate? – Helldivers 2
The Illuminate were one of three enemy factions from the original Helldivers game, released back in 2015. In fact, the original Helldivers game featured three factions, the Bugs (similar to Terminids), Cyborgs (resemble Automatons), and the aforementioned Illuminate.
The Illuminate, also referred to as the Squ'ith, are a race of highly intelligent beings intent on building weapons of mass destruction. Overall, the original Helldivers game featured 12 different Illuminate enemy types spread across five ranks. While the roaming Watchers were easy to destroy, The Great Eye would require the efforts of all Helldivers.
Should Helldivers 2 bring back the Illuminate?
Personally, a whole new enemy faction would be awesome to see, and definitely bring more excitement to the game. While we love scrapping Automaton and Terminid scum, it never hurts to change the scenery with a whole new enemy type.
However, that enemy does does not need to explicitly be the Illuminate. Any new enemy faction for Helldivers to fight against would be welcome in my book. That said, seeing an old enemy return also adds some level of excitement.
Regardless of what Arrowhead decides to do, we'll be there, protecting Super Earth with our expendable lives.
In other news, the developers released some free content for players honoring those lost at Malevelon Creek. Furthermore, a new update introduced some formidable new enemies. And of course, feel free to check out our review of Helldivers 2, if you're on the fence about getting it.
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