The Illuminate, the mysterious third faction from the original Helldivers, have made a dramatic return in Helldivers 2, launching their invasion of Planet Calypso and initiating a full-scale incursion into the Saleria Sector.
The Illuminate return from the first game with an entirely new roster of enemies. This update also introduces exciting new mission types set within colony maps, something we’ve been eagerly awaiting for a long time.
Enemy Types we’ve encountered in the field:
This list is not all inclusive, but here are some of the enemy types we’ve encountered whilst playing against the Illuminate.
Voteless
Voteless spawn in relentless swarms, making Machine Guns and Shotguns the most effective tools for dealing with them. These agile enemies quickly overwhelm Helldivers landing in the city, constantly emerging from grounded Warp Ships scattered throughout the area. While they are easily dispatched individually, their overwhelming numbers and the presence of more dangerous enemy types make them a serious threat if you find yourself surrounded.
Overseers
Overseers, likely the second enemy type you’ll encounter, are medium-armored foes capable of taking quite a bit of damage. Equipped with staffs that double as blasters and frontal shields, they are highly dangerous in close-quarters combat. Overseers close in aggressively with their shields, making them a formidable threat on the battlefield.
Elevated Overseers
Elevated Overseers also sport medium armor, the ability to throw grenades to flush you out of cover, and they can fly. Armed with burst machine guns, they can deal significant damage from a distance. They should not be ignored.
Watchers
Watchers are slow-patrolling units armed with an Arc Blaster. Their attacks are heavily telegraphed, giving you ample time to find cover. However, once they spot you, they turn purple and summon additional Warp Ships to deploy enemy reinforcements. If it’s been a while since the last Warp Ship call, eliminating Watchers becomes a top priority. Their ability to summon reinforcements has a global cooldown, and it’s best not to risk finding out if it’s ready to trigger again.
Warp Ships
Called-In Warp Ships – Similar to Automaton Dropships, though these ships deploy enemies directly to the ground via warping instead of traditional drops. They are summoned by Watchers.
Landed Warp Ships – These grounded ships continually spawn Voteless to relentlessly pursue players. They are placed in Illuminate Encampments and are protected by powerful shields. They can be easily destroyed by firing explosives into their open doors, or even through their shields using a 500KG bomb or an Orbital Precision Strike.
Harvesters
Harvesters are the Illuminate version of the Bile Titan—massive, imposing, and damn hard to kill. Their distinctive outline is unmistakable. While patrolling, Harvesters remain unshielded, but once they engage in combat, their powerful shields activate. Catching them off guard with a stealth attack is massive. Armed with devastating laser beams, Harvesters unleash long, drawn-out suppressive fire bursts. While their accuracy isn’t perfect, a single laser connection is fatal. On top of that, their massive legs can crush and eviscerate Helldivers, making them a deadly threat in both ranged and close combat.
To defeat a Harvester, you’ll first need to bring down its shields, which are incredibly durable—even surviving a point-blank 500KG explosion. The Arc Thrower is effective, capable of taking down shields and stun-locking the Harvester once they’re disabled. However, using the Arc Thrower leaves you vulnerable, so teamwork is essential to fend off the swarms of Voteless and Overseers while you focus on the Harvester.
Unknown Tesla/Arc Turret
These unknown turrets act very similarly to the Helldiver version of the Tesla Turret, charging up with a telegraphed lightning attack that will chain-one-shot any Helldivers in the area. They are medium-armored, so you’ll need explosives or a Stratagem to take these down.