In Helldivers 2 there have been clues for some time about a third enemy faction that could intervene in the galactic war – the Illuminates. We show you what is already known about the extraterrestrial enemies of democracy.
What are the Illuminates? The Illuminates are a highly advanced extraterrestrial civilization that fought against the Over-Earth in Helldivers 1 and is expected to appear as a third enemy faction in Helldivers 2.
There are different types of Illuminates that possess different characteristics on the battlefield.
Aliens that reverse your controls
What do we know about the Illuminates? Some Illuminates are already known from Helldivers 1. Units of the extraterrestrial civilization come with different characteristics. Some can even reverse your key inputs.
The following units are known from Helldivers 1:
Scouts
- Observer
- A tadpole-like patrol that moves stealthily and raises an alarm when it spots a Helldiver
- Watcher
- Basically the same as the Observer, but equipped with light armor
- Obsidian Observer
- A variation of the Watcher, but equipped with weapons
Infantry
- Tripod
- A machine with three legs that attacks at close range using electricity
- Has medium armor
- Attacks in groups of 3 to 5
- Hunter
- Ranged fighters that fire a powerful electrical pulse that can take out a Helldiver with a single hit
- Has no armor
- Operates alone
- Apprentice
- A melee fighter that attacks in groups of 2-3
- Attacks with a projectile attack that severely restricts a Helldiver’s mobility and allows the Apprentice to engage in close combat
- Has light armor
- Outcast
- Always cloaked melee fighters that attack with swift strikes and move quickly across the terrain
- Has light armor
- Does not have ranged attacks
- Attacks in groups of 1-3
- Strider
- A heavier variant of the Tripods, also three-legged machines that attack at close range using electricity
- Also has medium armor, but possesses a higher resilience than the Tripods
- Attacks in groups of 3 to 5
Tanks
- Obelisk
- A heavily armored dome that fires an energy wall
- The energy wall moves forward, kills Helldivers on contact, and blocks player movement and shots
- Other Illuminates can walk through the wall and attack Helldivers
- Obelisks operate alone
Elite
- Illusionist
- Strong enemies that use nanobot technology in battle to control other beings, but are very slow
- Fire homing projectiles that can take out a Helldiver with 2-3 hits
- If the Illusionist’s projectiles do not hit a target, they explode after a short time. Any Helldiver that was in the explosion radius then suffers from inverted controls
- Has medium armor
- Council Member
- Similar to the Illusionists but stronger
- Fire homing projectiles that can take out a Helldiver with 2-3 hits
- If the projectiles of the Illusionists do not hit a target, they explode after a short time. Any Helldiver that was in the explosion radius then suffers from inverted controls
- Has medium armor but high resilience
- Operates alone
Master
- Great Eye
- Large, heavily armed machines that, according to reports from the Over-Earth, are controlled by AI
- Fire multiple homing projectiles that can take out a Helldiver with 2-3 hits
- If the projectiles of the Illusionists do not hit a target, they explode after a short time. Any Helldiver that was in the explosion radius then suffers from inverted controls
- Only one Great Eye spawns, but is supported by multiple Striders
- Has medium armor and extreme resilience
In-game hints indicate Illuminated presence
Why is everyone waiting for the Illuminates? In Helldivers 2, an entire enemy faction was briefly wiped out with the robots. Although the nasty machines have returned with an even stronger force after just one day, players are still eager to fight against the Illuminates.
The anticipation mainly rests on some in-game hints that have been indicating the arrival of the third enemy faction for some time. For example, players could see strange blue lights in the sky in Helldivers 2, leading them to believe in an extraterrestrial presence.
Additionally, shortly after the release of the co-op shooter, players could read a news ticker on their spaceship speaking of rumors about Illuminated sightings:
Helldivers 2: Players find hint of new enemies that will threaten the Over-Earth in the future
