Over the past few months, players of Helldivers 2 have been faced with some challenging decisions. The Meridia Singularity keeps pushing forward on Super Earth, swallowing any planets unfortunate enough to get caught in its path. The Galactic War rages on, but Arrowhead has hit a snag: Gamers aren’t too keen on battling the game’s third faction, the eerie, squid-resembling Illuminate.
The Illuminate made quite an entrance, storming into the galaxy’s southern quadrant right after a surprise announcement at The Game Awards at the tail end of 2024. With the Terminids being notorious for their aggressive melee aliens and the Automatons bringing long-range artillery, lasers, and flamethrowers to the fight, the Illuminate fall somewhere in between. They bring their own crowd of challenges, including hordes of soft yet plentiful zombie-like creatures called the Voteless. Alongside them are the armored Overseers with their varied arsenal and the intimidating Harvesters that evoke vibes of War of the Worlds.
This alien invasion theme offers a fresh take in contrast to the more familiar Starship Troopers and Terminator-inspired factions. Initially, players were excited to explore the new urban battlegrounds and face off against the squid-like invaders. Within the broader storyline, they pose the greatest threat, having already obliterated two planets with their sights set on Super Earth.
The hitch is, they’re only half a faction. When matched up against the bots and bugs, their lineup is noticeably slim. The lore explains this away by labeling them as a scouting unit, preparing for a larger assault. However, this means encounters with them quickly become monotonous, and they don’t present the same challenge level as the Terminids or Automatons. Plus, their hold over urban maps has weakened, as all three factions can now fight for control of cityscapes.
Another issue is that the Illuminate don’t establish territory. To engage them, players must participate in a defense mission on a planet, which only lasts a day. Once the time is up, or if the planet is successfully defended, the Illuminate vanish and reappear elsewhere. Trying to complete a Major Order that involves fending off multiple Illuminate attacks demands precise coordination, which can be tough with players preferring to engage more thrilling foes on different battlefronts.
Fortunately, Arrowhead seems ready to spice things up with the introduction of diverse alien units. We’ve witnessed new units sneaking into the game before, like the airborne Terminid Shriekers and the fearsome Automaton Factory Striders. Arrowhead has also offered temporary variants that shake up gameplay. The Stalker was always a fierce adversary, but the Predator Strain introduced mutated packs of them. The Automatons have recently received a significant upgrade, with larger, tougher fabricators, the Incineration Brigade, and the intimidating Factory Striders featuring Stratagem Jammers.
Current Major Orders spotlight the Meridia Singularity under the Illuminate’s control, but Arrowhead acknowledges that variety is crucial. Recent Major Orders have gravitated towards the original two factions. Initially, the Terminids were seen as manageable, while Automatons didn’t captivate many players. As Arrowhead continues to adjust and balance the game, the Illuminate may achieve their potential. For now, though, they remain underrepresented and too similar. While I’m eager to see their take on a Bile Titan, I’ll be spending my time on the well-trodden paths of battling bots and bugs.
