Developers tease Helldivers 2 third faction
While our hands are already full fighting the Automatons and Terminids in Helldivers 2, another faction might enter the war to establish their territories in the galaxy. This upstart faction might cause more trouble for our Helldivers, so we should get to know this upcoming race before they appear in our radars. While we don’t have precise details on them yet, there are some clues on who this upstart faction is.
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Helldivers 2 Third Faction
Arrowhead hasn’t announced a new faction yet, but some Easter Eggs have been found in-game. The studio has been silent about most upcoming content, but it seems that one Easter Egg points to the existence of another faction. Eagle-eyed players have spotted a news report pinpointing a previous race in the last game.
In one of the news broadcasts, one update banner showed the “Rumors of Illuminate Sightings…” line, which proves that this faction does exist in the Helldivers 2 universe. The Illuminates were present in the previous game, and this Easter Egg hints at their apparent return. However, AGS hasn’t said anything about it, so it is hard to confirm at this time.
Who are the Illuminate?
The Illuminates are an advanced alien race that utilizes tons of energy-based weapons. They have evolved into a highly sophisticated civilization with considerable destructive power. Compared to other factions, they are more advanced and sturdier since they rely more on energy shields rather than using hard exoskeletons or armor.
In the previous Helldivers, the Illuminates can be seen using sophisticated white hovering vehicles or sporting energy attacks. They appear as semi-aquatic creatures and dressed in ceremonial robes. Super Earth considers them a huge threat, so Helldivers are hellbent on destroying them.
The Automatons and Terminids appeared in the previous game but were known as Cyborgs and Bugs. Since these two factions made a comeback for the second one, it is highly possible for the Illuminate also to appear in future updates. It might take some time before they arrive though, since Arrowhead is more focused on optimizing the game.
Helldivers 2 Faction System
Currently, the game has three factions: Helldivers, Terminids, and Automatons. Helldivers represent the forces of the players and NPCs aboard each Destroyer. The Terminids are a bug race with hard carapaces and lethal close-combat abilities. The Automatons are robots that sport thick armor plating and prefer large explosions and missiles.
Helldivers 2’s gameplay revolves around players fighting these two factions to gain more territory. All three are trapped in a cycle of taking planets back and forth. Players can engage in various missions to liberate systems from the clutches of other factions.
These factions attack Super Earth’s territories on opposite sides. The Terminids occupy the western portion of the global map, while the Bugs scour the eastern galaxies. If the Illuminate does appear, they can appear on the North or South planets.
Each faction is vulnerable to a specific type of damage. Players can deal more damage to Automatons with energy-based weapons due to their electrically powered life forms. Meanwhile, we can quickly fry Bugs with fire as they are susceptible to this attack.
In the case of Illuminates, we can assume they are impervious to most damage due to their energy shields. However, they don’t have much protection at close range. The easiest way to dispose of them in the previous game was to get close and blast their core point-blank. Their lack of melee offenses makes them weak in close-quarter combat. If they appear in Helldivers 2, they might sport a similar weakness. However, with the introduction of stratagems, we might see more opportunities for killing them.
On top of this, more guns will be added in future updates, so we might get loadouts that can pierce through Illuminate shields. These are all mere speculations; anything can happen within the next few months. We will have to wait for further posts from the devs.
What Should We Expect from Helldivers 2?
Devs have confirmed several things coming to the game aside from their promises of optimizing servers and fixing bugs. New guns, armor, and loadouts will slowly be introduced in future patches as we get new Warbonds. In addition, AGS promised that we would see vehicles and mechs in action, but they have yet to give us an exact date on when they would be available.
AGS has not confirmed anything about the Illuminates as the third faction, so we hope they will post about them soon. Players can only hope that devs will release a roadmap to keep us excited. In the meantime, Helldivers are expected to do their best to help spread Democracy throughout the galaxies.
