These days, the buzz around Helldivers 2 finally introducing its long-anticipated third faction, the Illuminate from the original game, has become almost routine conversation among fans. Now, though, there’s a renewed sense of optimism, following a recent Steam depot update intriguingly labeled “gameplay_illuminates.”
I’m not pulling your leg here. Arrowhead seems to have opted for a name as blatantly descriptive as “Democracy Space Station” for its most recent game tweak, stirring excitement about the possibility of the Illuminate making an appearance in the Galactic War—a notion fans have speculated about ever since Meridia got tangled up in cosmic spaghetti.
A sharp-eyed user on the Helldivers 2 subreddit, Dangerous-Return5937, was the first to flag the depot update spotted on SteamDB, tagged quite literally as “gameplay_illuminates.” While this title certainly hints at something significant, there’s no additional information on what the update really entails or whether it actually paves the way for the Illuminate’s debut in the game, let alone when.
The amusing part is that this bit of information was so openly accessible on the internet, it’s hardly a leak by traditional standards. Naturally, this has left players pondering its significance: some are pumped with anticipation, others prefer a more cautious stance, and a few just find the whole thing perplexing.
Critics from the latter group have questioned Arrowhead’s decision to go with such an on-the-nose name if they indeed meant to signal the Illuminate’s arrival. Previous updates like “studio_playtest” and “gameplay_worlds” are straightforward enough, whereas tags like “mimosa,” “orion,” and “wushu” seem crafted to avoid sparking unfounded player expectations.
One moderator on the Helldivers subreddit noted, “Honestly, Arrowhead might have invited this kind of speculation by using that name for the update.” Meanwhile, some players think that the studio could just be having a bit of fun at their expense. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just a tweak in the game’s lighting settings and everyone falls for it,” someone joked.
For now, it’s best to keep expectations in check. Even if this is connected to the Illuminate, there’s no promise they’re making an imminent entrance. Still, share your thoughts on this intriguing development with us below!
