Since it launched earlier this year, Helldivers 2 players have been fighting a war on two fronts: the seething hordes of the terminids to their right and the unending assembly line of automatons to the left. And while the balance of power between the enemies has had its ups and downs, both Helldivers 2 factions have still kept the community’s hands plenty full for the last six months. But that’s probably going to end sooner rather than later.
Veterans of the first Helldivers title will be all too familiar with the Illuminate, the third alien faction Super Earth has tangoed with in the past. The official story is that these squid-like, water-based E.T.s are dead and gone, but some early datamining has proven that this is not the case. The Illuminate’s eventual arrival in Helldivers 2 has to be one of the worst-kept secrets in gaming if true and Arrowhead should be upfront about what’s coming down the pipeline.
Arrowhead Should Either Confirm or Deny the Illuminate Are Coming
Pretending the Illuminate Aren’t Coming May be a Lost Cause
The squid is already out of the bag, in a sense. The Illuminate leaks started soon after Helldivers 2‘s launch, and so far they have been left unaccounted for. Whatever the reason for the datamines, the reality is that the community has unofficially known about the third faction’s impending arrival for months. The leaks have been constant and extensive, showcasing everything from concept art to finished in-game models.
Arrowhead may just have to bite the bullet and admit to the facts at this point. Denying the Illuminate faction’s existence at this point seems unreasonable, though one could argue that Arrowhead is waiting for the perfect opportunity to do a full official reveal. The Illuminate may be part of a bigger expansion for the game, so announcing them now by acknowledging the leaks wouldn’t necessarily be the best course of action for the developer. However, an announcement could allow players to have some realistic expectations for the future of the game.
The Illuminate Can Help Revive Interest During Helldivers 2’s Wavering State
The Illuminate’s arrival may not be a secret, but neither is the less-than-stellar state of the game itself. Despite starting out as one of the most explosive hits of the year, Helldivers 2 has faced some heated controversy in recent months surrounding the balance of the game. From the PSN debacle to the more recent balance snafus that came with Escalation of Freedom, the community needs a sign of good faith that the game is going to keep progressing in the right direction long-term.
While the biggest of Helldivers 2’s woes have been coming from sources outside the game itself, there’s a problem inherent to the game that the arrival of the Illuminate can immediately fix: the feeling of endless repetition. Players have been fighting more or less the same enemies since launch. Sure, there have been additions like the factory striders and gunships for the automatons, and the shriekers and impalers for the terminids, but those have been few and far between. The meat of the game has stayed largely the same since launch and Helldivers 2 may need radically new enemies for players to stay engaged while dispensing freedom.
Helldivers May Get Tired of Fighting the Same Two Factions
The confirmation and eventual addition of a whole new faction would be a huge shot in the arm for Helldivers 2 enthusiasm. Even if the alien invasion is still a ways off, a simple confirmation that they’re coming would be enough to get players back in the game en masse, bracing themselves and saving resources for the eventual arrival of the Illuminate.
The leaks have been out in the zeitgeist for months now, so it’s unlikely that Arrowhead will address them at this point; it seems the company policy is to not acknowledge unofficially revealed content. Regardless, an announcement about the Illuminate needs to happen sooner or later. Ironically enough, the fate of Super Earth might just rely on another alien invasion happening.
