Over the past few months, players of Helldivers 2 have been pulled into a series of difficult decisions as the relentless Meridia Singularity continues its path of destruction towards Super Earth, leaving a trail of devastated worlds. The ongoing Galactic War brings its own challenges, but one snag stands out for Arrowhead: players just aren’t feeling compelled to battle the game’s third faction, the intimidating Illuminate, who take on a somewhat squid-like appearance.
The Illuminate burst onto the scene with quite the fanfare, launching an invasion in the galaxy’s southern quad following an unexpected reveal during The Game Awards late in 2024. While the Terminids dominate the battlefield with aggressive, heavy units and swarms of melee-driven aliens, and the Automatons boast of strategic long-range strikes with artillery, lasers, and flamethrowers, the Illuminate sit comfortably between these two extremes. Their forces include numerous, albeit fragile, zombies known as Voteless, along with armored Overseers equipped with diverse arsenals. Not to mention their fearsome War of the Worlds-esque walkers, the Harvesters.
Initially, the allure of a fresh alien invasion narrative mixed things up considerably from the familiar Starship Troopers and Terminator-inspired factions. Players relished exploring new urban settings while tackling the squid-like adversaries. In the overarching storyline, the Illuminate are indeed a formidable threat—they’ve already wiped out two planets and have Super Earth in their sights!
Here’s the kicker, though: they feel like only half a faction. Their unit roster is remarkably smaller compared to the bots and bugs. In terms of the storyline, this seems plausible: they are merely the vanguard, scouting the galaxy before unleashing their full force. But until their ranks bolster, combating them can get monotonous, and their difficulty level pales in comparison to the other two factions. Plus, urban map exclusivity isn’t their thing anymore—every faction now battles across cityscapes.
Another hurdle is their odd strategy of not holding any territory. To face the Illuminate, you need to initiate a defense mission on a planet, which lasts around a day. Once the mission ends, either through successful defense or running out the clock, they vanish only to reappear in another sector down the line. So, capturing a Major Order that requires defending against multiple Illuminate attacks demands precise timing and coordination, which is no easy feat given the general preference for engaging more invigorating battles against other enemies.
Thankfully, Arrowhead is no stranger to spicing things up with new content and units to keep gameplay fresh. We’ve seen sneaky introductions like the airborne Terminid Shriekers and the fearsome Automaton Factory Striders weaving into the mix. They’ve also launched special versions of known enemies, completely altering gameplay dynamics. The Stalker, typically formidable, turns even more menacing with the mutated Predator Strain. Recently, Automatons received a tremendous power boost with bigger and tougher fabricators, the Incineration Brigade’s debut, and the unsettling Factory Striders flaunting Stratagem Jammers.
While current Major Orders spotlight the Illuminate and their control over the Meridia Singularity, Arrowhead obviously understands the importance of variety. Recent Major Orders centered around the founding factions hint at this. Initially brushed off as easier foes, the Terminids were the go-to, while Automatons garnered less attention. As Arrowhead continues its balancing act, it’s likely the Illuminate will find their stride. Until then, they remain too sparse and predictable for excitement. Personally, I’m eager to see their take on a Bile Titan, but in the meantime, my efforts are on the familiar battlegrounds of bots and bugs.
