Screenshots of the Helldivers 2 in-game map that seemingly contain a new teaser for the long-awaited, but still unconfirmed, Illuminate faction are “fake news,” according to Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani.
The Illuminate are a race of technologically advanced aliens with psychic powers and a focus on defensive barriers, and were one of three enemy factions that players could take down in the first Helldivers, but since its release in February, they haven’t been present in the sequel. While Helldivers 2 Illuminate has yet to be officially confirmed by Arrowhead, we’ve seen so many leaks and so much datamined information since launch that it seems inevitable that they’ll be coming to the game at some point.
Light up on the r/Helldivers map
Whether this is actually a sign of the Illuminates' imminent arrival in Helldivers 2 or a genuine technical glitch that Arrowhead acknowledged with a coy wink remains to be seen. Frankly, I'd be very surprised if the Illuminates never arrived, but we don't have enough evidence yet to say for sure that it's going to happen anytime soon.
Helldivers 2 boss admits the team has “gone off course a few times” lately, but don't expect a faster cadence from Warbonds: “We'd love to pick up the pace again, but we need to get quality right first.”