best co-op shooter games. Though their recent attacks have been repelled rather easily by players, the Illuminate likely still have many cards to play.

So far, the Illuminate has shown a small fraction of its supposed power. This has largely come in the form of the Voteless, human civilians that have been corrupted into zombie-like monsters. They have been accompanied by Watchers, Overseers, and Harvesters, who each have their own unique talents. The most notable of these are energy shields that are heavily resistant to any form of damage that isn't ballistics. However, all of these have been no match for the arsenal of the Helldivers.

Illuminate Plans For Helldivers 2

Hiding Behind The Scenes

The Illuminate is likely to be the main focus of Helldivers 2 for the bulk of 2025, if not all of it. This isn't to say the other factions won't be involved, but they won't get as much attention. The Illuminate have been the big bad lurking in the shadows since the game launched, and based on the number of enemies from the original game that have not been released yet, they still have plenty of firepower.

In-universe, the Illuminate were presumed to be eradicated after the First Galactic War (i.e., the events of the original Helldivers), but their return has long been suspected by players.

Since Helldivers 2 likes to keep its lore updating alongside content drops, there are two ways this could go. The most common theory is that the forces players are currently fighting are those that were left behind when the Illuminate was first defeated. These patchwork forces appear to be pushing toward the black hole where Helldivers 2's Meridia Supercolony used to be, as it is likely a way to connect to the rest of their faction.

The other theory is that the entire faction is already here and is simply testing Super Earth. Slowly rolling out its weakest units and then ramping up the army to see how competent the Helldivers are. Either option is honestly a scary thought, as both will likely lead to some large invasion that will test Helldivers like never before.

What Illuminate Enemies Could Come To Helldivers 2

Enemies New And Old

The first new additions to the Illuminate army in Helldivers 2 could be the Hunter and Strider, both of which were in the original game. Hunters are a stealth variant of Overseer that is more focused on hit-and-run strategies at range. These kinds of enemies would be largely new to the game and provide a new sense of danger, kind of like a Terminid Stalker that attacks from range. Striders are the heavier version of the Harvester, which depends on what the development team considers the Harvester. If the Harvester is already a combo of the original games' versions, then this unit is unneeded.

The other options from the previous game are the Illusionists and Council . These were more fragile Illuminate enemies that utilized the same energy shields as the Harvester. However, what they lack in health they make up for in psionic offensive potential. In Helldivers, they were capable of shooting large psionic bombs and affecting player inputs like inverting controls. Something like this would be a fun new addition to the game by making Helldivers plan their battles out and remove reliance on Stratagems.

The last option is the inclusion of entirely new enemies. The Voteless are a perfect example of this, and as weak as they are, the massive numbers they appear in make them threatening. This area is a bit harder to predict but would likely be new machine variants that the Illuminate have been preparing. The alternative to this is if the dangerous squids start intermingling with the other factions.

Could The Illuminate Merge With Helldivers 2's Other Factions?

A United Enemy

Based on recent Illuminate activity, and their advanced scientific/psionic technology, it is not impossible that the Illuminate "merge" the other factions in some way. The simplest option here would just be controlling them and mixing the base forms with the regular army, essentially like having a horde of Voteless charging while being ed by Automaton Hulks or Terminid Bile Titans.

The other option would be if the Illuminate altered the base forms of the other factions in some capacity. This could be done in simple ways, like adding a small gun to Termind Hunters that can shoot as they close the gaps, or giving them some kind of small energy shield. For Automatons, this could mean reinforcing their armor or stripping away their weapons to give to Overseers.

Either of these outcomes would be a terrifying but cool addition to Helldivers 2. At worst, it gives these older enemies a refresh without drastically changing how the factions play. In contrast, at best, it greatly enhances the combat of this beloved game while furthering the story in an exciting way that could lead to a united universal war. These kinds of updates are what a live-service game like Helldivers 2 needs to keep retention.

Overall, the Illuminate is likely to be the biggest factor of change in Helldivers 2. The only alternative that can be mentioned is the return of the Terminid Hive Lords, which could add battles on a scale that the game currently lacks. Regardless, 2025 will be the year Helldivers 2 tries to show it has the staying power to last numerous years. In this way, Helldivers 2's Illuminate is expected to have the largest impact on this quickly growing beloved franchise.