In Helldivers 2 you have been fighting against the same enemies since its release: beetles, robots, robots, beetles. For months now, players have been wanting a new faction to get involved in the galactic war. Now the developers have given such an obvious hint of possible upcoming adversaries with a new update that players are skeptical as to whether Arrowhead isn’t just trolling.
What kind of suggestion is this? Helldivers 2 received a small update on November 22nd that hints at the possible imminent arrival of the Illuminated – an enemy faction in Helldivers 1.
While there are no official patch notes detailing the contents of the update or any actual playable new content, the game’s update history contains numerous files labeled “gameplay_illuminates.” This update history can be viewed on the SteamDB website.
Here you can see a screenshot of the update history:
Over the past few months, there have been various clues that many players have interpreted as signs of the return of the Illuminated, including inexplicable blue lasers.
The update history is the clearest indication so far of the arrival of the Illuminated – or the developers are just trolling, as some players suspect.
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What do the players say? A Helldivers player posted a screenshot of the update history on Reddit. Within a day, this post garnered over 300 comments, some of which were skeptical.
The post creator himself writes in a comment: “I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re just trolling us. Still, I thought it was worth sharing.” Other players joke that the next patch notes might say something like, “We updated the lighting engine. The terrain should now be illuminated much more realistically.”
One user wrote: “I would expect them to troll us. I would also expect that they accidentally leaked it. So 50/50?”
What are the Illuminated? The Illuminates are an extraterrestrial civilization that appeared in Helldivers 1 and fought against over-earth. For months, players have suspected that this is the next, third enemy faction in Helldivers 2.
There are different types of Illuminated, each with different characteristics on the battlefield. For example, in Helldivers 1 there were the tripods, which are three-legged machines that attack using electricity. Another Illuminated unit were the Observers, who roam the terrain disguised as tadpole-like patrols and sound the alarm when they see Helldivers. You can read more about the Illuminated here: In Helldivers 2 everyone is waiting for the Illuminated – This is what we know about the nasty aliens