It Looks Like a Highly Anticipated Enemy Faction Is Finally Coming to Helldivers 2 Soon [IGN]

Helldivers 2 fans may soon have a new war to fight, as some players suspect that the Illuminate faction will soon make its long-awaited debut.

Fear that a new enemy will launch its attack against Super Earth started after a few players noticed strange behavior on the in-game Galactic War map. Where the circle layout usually only shows two factions – the Automatons and Terminids – and their progress as represented by red and orange colors, some were beginning to spot a third, purple color, gaining ground. Reddit user Helldiver343 was one of the first to share their findings and posted a screenshot of the updated map before the changes “vanished.”

The image suggests that a third enemy, likely the Illuminate, will soon rear its head, but many were quick to write it off as a glitch, mistake, or even fake. Players then grew more suspicious when additional reports of purple map progress started to show up. Developer Arrowhead Studios had been silent about the strange sightings, adding to the confusion. Reddit user MoonlitSaiyan said that they “didn’t know what to believe” before an in-game message suggested that Arrowhead was already very aware of player concerns.

“Some Helldivers may have noticed a recent service outage in the Major Order Communication Display,” the message says. “The issue has since been resolved.”

Arrowhead continues, explaining that a Comms Technician got trapped in a server room and died due to “exposure,” resulting in “organic tissue degradation on electronic equipment.” Of course, the technician’s family has already been fined for damages, too.

It’s gross and par for the course for Helldivers 2 in a few ways. Arrowhead has been known to mislead players in the name of liberty in the past, with one past example seeing the team deny the existence of flying Terminids despite numerous first-hand reports that the bug faction had managed to mutate. Arrowhead eventually admitted that flying creatures had indeed started to sprout from the ground, so don’t be surprised if the Illuminate finally makes their grand entrance in the near future.

The alien group has existed since the days of the original Helldivers but was thought to be extinct by the time the events of Helldivers 2 began. However, fans began to guess that they may soon return shortly after launch thanks to the appearance of mysterious blue lasers in the sky. New models for the Illuminate have also leaked in the past, so despite Arrowhead insisting that there is nothing to worry about, all evidence has pointed to an eventual Illuminate takeover. That said, it’s best to stay on your toes for something else or nothing at all until the studio has more to share.

Helldivers 2 launched in February and exploded into one of the biggest releases of the year. We gave it a 9/10 in our review, saying, “Helldivers 2’s combat feels fantastic, its missions stay fresh and interesting, and its smart progression system doesn’t nickel and dime you.” For more on what’s to come, you can read up on how Arrowhead plans to win back player trust in the coming months.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.