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The Galactic War in Helldivers 2 is currently being fought by Super Earth as they take on the Automatons and Terminids. So far, only a small portion of the galaxy is accessible, with approximately 200 planets inaccessible. This means that there is potentially years of content in the pipeline for players to enjoy in the future.
But, it is not just the Automatons and Terminids that Helldivers 2 players will be dealing with over the coming years, as we know that The Illuminate will be making a comeback after having seemingly become extinct after the previous Galactic War 100 years ago. Here is everything that you need to know about The Illuminate.
Helldivers 2 The Illuminate Release Window Prediction
Arrowhead Game Studios has yet to announce an official release date known for when The Illuminate will be making their presence known in the Galactic War. The alien faction have been subtly referenced by officers on your ship in recent months, particularly following the Meridia black hole event. Most of the dialogue has been referring to past events from the first Helldivers game.
With the faction first being leaked back in March, many players expected The Illuminate to have appeared in Helldivers 2 by now. Arc 2 has just begun with the Escalation of Freedom update, with the first Arc focusing on the beginning of the war, which has seen Super Earth trade blows with the Automatons and Terminids.
Now that we’re in the Arc 2, Arrowhead will be looking to make a big bang with major content updates to keep players engaged over the coming months and into 2025. Based on how long Arc 1 was, it is likely that this next chapter in the Galactic War will last approximately six months, taking us to the one year anniversary of Helldivers 2 being released.
Based on what we know so far, I predict that we could see The Illuminate finally come to Helldivers 2 between October and November 2024. The recent Escalation of Freedom update has seen its share of issues and backlash, largely surrounding weapon nerfs. Arrowhead are now looking at making changes to the game and looking at ways to effectively communicate with the player base. So the developers will have their hands full over the next couple of months, meaning that it is unlikely that we will see much new content regarding the Galactic War. Once that is done, I expect that we will see The Illuminate make an appearance toward the end of the year.
Helldivers 2 The Illuminate Leaks
Over the past few months, there have been numerous leaks regarding The Illuminate, from their weapons to what they will actually look like. Various enemies in The Illuminate faction have been leaked in various states, with some being textured and others being basic models. The main enemies we know about are an Adept Mage, an enemy known as Guy, as well as various weapons they will use.
A recent leak also gave us a look at the Observer, which will track players during a mission and alert The Illuminate to your location so they can attack you with their plasma weapons.
Those who have played the first Helldivers game will know what to expect from them, but it will be interesting to see how they play as the two games are very different from each other. From what we’ve seen so far, they do give similar vibes to enemies that we see in games such as Destiny 2, which could give us an indication as to what to expect from the aquatic enemies.
Our Predictions For The Illuminate
When it comes to The Illuminate and when they will come to Helldivers 2, it is tough to make any accurate predictions. I have made some claims and predictions over the past few months of when I thought they could be coming, based on events in the game and dialogue by the officers on your ship. Unfortunately, none of them came to fruition.
When the black hole event occurred which saw Meridia be destroyed, it seemed like The Illuminate could have been set to use the black hole as a wormhole to enter the galaxy. However, that has yet to happen, but with the black hole just being on the map for the past three months and not playing any part in the story, it does seem unusual that there was no real conclusion to it. So, it is possible that it could still be set to play a role in the Galactic War.
Until Arrowhead Game Studios officially acknowledges the faction, everything is just speculation based on credible leaks. But, as soon as we have new information, whether leaks or announcements, we will be sure to keep you up to date with everything you need to know so you can be prepared for when The Illuminate finally comes to Helldivers 2.
Helldivers 2
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Release Date:
February 8, 2024 -
Platform(s):
PC, PlayStation 5 -
Genre(s):
Action, Shooter, Third Person