Helldivers 2: Illuminate Enemies Set Course for Meridia’s Black Hole

The world of Helldivers is buzzing with excitement thanks to Arrowhead’s latest additions: urban maps, a sleek recon vehicle, and an intriguing third enemy faction. It seemed like the tale of the Illuminate’s return might be a quick weekend adventure, but that story quickly caught fire. These pesky space squids made their presence known right after an announcement at The Game Awards, targeting the planet Calypso. In a narrow but thrilling victory, Helldivers managed to safeguard Calypso just in time. Now, these interstellar invaders have a new target: the enigmatic black hole where the planet Meridia once was.

To put things in perspective, let’s dive into the game’s enemy factions. We started with the Terminids and the Automatons. The Terminids, in particular, have captured players’ imaginations. Even when high commands from Super Earth urge players to face robot foes, many can’t resist staying in Terminid space to live out their Starship Troopers fantasies. Recently, the Terminids have upped their game with rapid, powerful evolutions, prompting an interesting twist—Meridia was discovered to be a Supercolony by Super Earth intel.

This discovery led to a bold, limited-time event orchestrated by Arrowhead. Players were tasked with flooding Meridia with Dark Fluid to fend off the Supercolony’s forces, a gamble that paid off by transforming Meridia into a black hole. Remember Chekhov’s Gun? Well, Helldivers are now face-to-face with Arrowhead’s Black Hole; after all, creating a mysterious space anomaly will naturally draw attention from some shady squids.

Unlike their cosmic adversaries, the Illuminate haven’t claimed any permanent space territory. Instead, they’ve adopted a hit-and-run strategy against Super Earth worlds, starting with Calypso and steadily advancing east. Initially, this seemed routine, but fans soon noticed something peculiar about Meridia. The black hole is not only more vibrant with a purplish hue, but it’s also swallowing debris at a worrying pace.

To date, Helldivers have successfully defended Terminid regions from the Illuminate, an ironic turn of events for players who’ve spent months facing off against bugs. During Operation Squid Game, which wrapped up around 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, the Illuminate vanished once more. Yet, I have a hunch this tale is far from over. It feels like some gaps in the Illuminate’s lineup are about to be filled with new, formidable bio-organic horrors. On the bright side, players can now acquire the recon vehicle as a Stratagem and head into battle whenever they please. It’s important to count your blessings even while fighting an epic intergalactic war for democracy across three fronts.