Helldivers 2has had a long journey in the relatively short time since its release already, and it continues to grow in ways that catch the community by surprise. Just recently,Helldivers 2’s Omens of Tyranny updatesimultaneously delivered several items off players' wishlists, notably including the first of many more battles yet to come against the infamous Illuminate enemy faction.
While the Illuminate faction inHelldivers 2is already quite a unique threat compared to Automatons and Terminids, there is plenty of room for this faction to grow, specifically with a wider variety of enemy units. One such new Illuminate enemy thatHelldivers 2already has the perfect blueprint for is a brainwashed Helldiver mimic that infiltrates players' teams in disguise.
Helldivers 2’s Illuminate Faction Has Plenty of Room to Grow
So far, the Illuminate faction inHelldivers 2currently has a limited variety of enemy units. While this is justified considering that this faction was only recently introduced, it’s safe to expect that new Illuminate enemy units will be added in due time throughoutHelldivers 2’s ongoing Galactic War. This presumably means that some of the Illuminate enemy units from the original game will make a return appearance. Beyond this though, there’s arguably plenty of room forHelldivers 2to introduce new Illuminate enemy types that weren’t present in the first game, especially considering thatHelldivers 2may already have the perfect blueprint to do so.
Helldivers 2 May Be Foreshadowing a New Illuminate Enemy
Among the fewIlluminate enemy types inHelldivers 2that players can already encounter is one that wasn’t present in the original game. The new Voteless enemies pose a rather minimal threat since they can be defeated quite easily compared to other heavily armored enemy units. However, regardless of their minimal threat from a gameplay perspective, the existence of the Voteless poses a scary and interesting question forHelldivers 2’s future: if the Illuminate can brainwash and recruit Super Earth civilians, could the Illuminate brainwash and recruit Helldiver soldiers?
Not only does the existence of the Illuminate Voteless make a Helldiver mimic enemy type seem like a possibility, but there is additional evidence that helps support this theory as well. For instance, the alleged “thought crimes” often mentioned by NPCs could have been foreshadowing the Illuminate’s plans to brainwash Helldivers this whole time. Additionally, some players have also interpreted past statements from the developers to suggest thatHelldivers 2may add another new enemy factionof dissident humans, and given the possible connections, these statements may have also referred to the Illuminate. All things considered,Helldivers 2admittedly has the perfect blueprint for an Illuminate Helldiver mimic enemy type already.
A Mimic Enemy in Helldivers 2 Could Present a Unique Challenge
During moments of chaos, a mimic could easily infiltrate a group of Helldivers by copying a player’s armor and nametag, requiring players to remain vigilant of their teammates to swiftly expose any impostors. Otherwise, a shoot-first and ask-questions-later approach could cause players to quickly expend their valuable reinforcements.
Instead of relying on the mini-map icons or other HUD elements to blindly trust that a teammate isn’t an Illuminate mimic, players would need to approach such an enemy type with creative solutions likesecret gestures usingHelldivers 2’s emotes.
An Illuminate Helldiver mimic that sneaks into players’ groups disguised as a fellow teammate would be unlike any enemy players have encountered so far. Especially if these mimics could utilize players’weapons, armor, and Stratagem loadouts, this kind of enemy could present a whole new layer of difficulty. So considering that the perfect idea for an Illuminate mimic already exists,Helldivers 2should consider experimenting with this fun new enemy type.
