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

Being a Helldiver fan has never been more thrilling! With Arrowhead dropping new urban maps, a slick recon vehicle, and a third enemy faction, there’s plenty to dive into. Initially, it seemed like the Illuminate’s return to the galaxy would be a short-lived tale, wrapping up in just a weekend. They made their dramatic entrance post-announcement at The Game Awards, targeting Calypso. The brave Helldivers narrowly managed to safeguard the planet, but now the cunning space squids are eyeing their next prize: the black hole that’s taken over where Meridia once existed.

Let’s break this down a bit. The game initially features two enemy factions: the Terminids and the Automatons. The Terminids, in particular, have captured players’ imaginations, with many sticking around to battle them despite commands to face robot foes. Inspired by the ongoing attention, the Terminids upped their game with rapid and powerful evolutions. Intelligence from Super Earth then revealed that Meridia had become a Supercolony hub.

In a daring event orchestrated by Arrowhead, players had the mission to fill Meridia with Dark Fluid, staving off the Supercolony’s forces to execute their bold strategy. The mission was a success, transforming Meridia into a black hole. Channeling the narrative trope of Chekhov’s Gun, this cosmic anomaly now catches the unwanted gaze of those pesky squids.

Unlike the other adversarial groups, the Illuminate haven’t claimed a fixed space in the galaxy. Instead, they prefer sneaky hit-and-run tactics against Super Earth territories, initiating with Calypso and gradually moving east. Initially, this didn’t raise any eyebrows, but soon fans began noticing something strange about Meridia. The black hole was taking on a brighter, more purple hue and started dragging in debris at a worrisome pace.

Helldivers have so far managed to hold off the Illuminate within Terminid sectors — a strange twist considering the time spent fighting bugs there — effectively repelling the squids. By the conclusion of Operation Squid Game around 4:30 p.m. ET last Friday, the Illuminate had once again disappeared. However, I have a hunch this saga is far from finished. There seem to be gaps in the Illuminate’s strategy, likely to be filled by new and terrifying bio-organic enemies soon. On a brighter note, players can now snag the recon vehicle as a Stratagem, allowing them to hit the interstellar highways whenever they wish. It’s crucial to savor the perks when engaged in a galaxy-spanning war for democracy across three battlefronts.