Is a third faction coming to Helldivers 2? Illuminate rumors explained

While Helldivers 2 only includes two enemy factions, an eagle-eyed player recently found an Easter egg hinting at a third faction.

The newly released Helldivers sequel pits players against two different factions, each one with over half a dozen enemy types.

Incontinent bug-like creatures known as Hunters, Warriors, Bile Titans, and Charges make up the Terminids faction. Meanwhile, the Automaton faction consists of everything from Berserkers and Raiders to Marauders and Scout Striders.

But will developer Arrowhead introduce a third warring group to the galactic fight? An Easter egg has some players thinking such an addition is not beyond the realm of possibility.

In-game Helldivers 2 hint points to a new enemy faction

A player on the Helldivers subreddit recently posted a screenshot of an in-universe newscast, with a chyron whose main text references the Hellivers’ attack on Automatons. In the live news ticker at the bottom of the broadcast, the player found a cutoff sentence that reads: “Rumors of Illuminate sightings are work of dissid…”

The Redditor who shared the image called attention to Illuminate finally getting namedropped in Helldivers 2. Naturally, the hope is that the army in question will eventually surface in the new entry via post-launch updates.

It’s worth noting that the Illuminate mention presently counts as little more than a clever world-building Easter egg. At the time of writing, Arrowhead has yet to confirm a third faction for Helldivers 2.

Illuminate were finally name dropped in game
byu/xHAcoreRDx inHelldivers

Fans wouldn’t be wrong for holding out hope, however, given that the original Helldivers launched with the Terminids and Automatons as main factions, then added the Illuminate at a later date.

Stemming from an incredibly sophisticated civilization, the Illuminate constitute high-minded aliens somewhat similar to the Kaminoans in Star Wars.

These robed creatures have produced weapons of mass destruction that pose a great threat to Super Earth, meaning they’d fit right at home in Helldivers 2’s fight for democracy premise.