The Helldivers 2 craze simply refuses to subside, even after a month since its launch. The co-op shooter just received its first content addition, Cutting Edge Warbonds, on 14 March. The update has added new weapons and mechs to the game, but only after a critical community mission to liberate Tien Kwan.
Arrowhead’s incredibly creative method of making mechs available to players worked so well, that it actually made the game’s servers buckle, evoking bitter memories of its launch. Now, the Swedish developer seems to be teasing the return of a lethal alien race that could do with a dose of liberty.
The Case Of The Mysterious Blue Beams
Unease and panic seem to gripping the battlefields of Helldivers 2, as players report witnessing bizarre blue beams raining down on both fellow Helldivers and foes. The community believes that these sightings could allude to the Illuminate, the telepathic and grotesque alien race from the first Helldivers game.
The Helldivers 2 Galactic Map currently serves up only two enemy factions – the skittering Terminids and the Terminator-esque Automatons. This abundance of empty space leaves ample room for new enemies.
Therefore, the Illuminate’s reappearance wouldn’t be entirely out of the blue. Their reign as a major adversary in the first Helldivers makes them a strong contender for the source of the mysterious blue-beamed attacks.
Helldivers 2 Director Has Denied The Rumors
Clips and firsthand accounts flooding the Helldivers subreddit lend further credence to the theory. Players have been documenting harrowing encounters with the blue beams, with some even claiming casualties among their fellow freedom fighters.
However, Johan Pilestedt, the game’s director, has thrown cold water on these reports, dismissing them as fabrications and adamantly denying the existence of these blue beams altogether. Pilestedt’s commitment to Helldivers‘ satirical military theme is truly admirable.
Blue beams aren't real, it can't hurt you.
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) March 15, 2024
Despite official denial, the player base remains unconvinced, as they should be. The nature of the blue beams, from their color to the seemingly targeted attacks, bears a striking resemblance to the Illuminate’s signature weaponized telepathy from the first Helldivers. Whether these sightings represent a genuine threat or an elaborate community-forged conspiracy remains to be seen.
In the original Helldivers, the Illuminate were powerful enemies, wielding potent psychic abilities and sporting unsettling forms bedecked with pulsating tentacles. They were both challenging to fight and disturbing to look at. Their leaders, clad in flowing robes, added a layer of religious fanaticism to their twisted version of democracy.
While Pilestedt vehemently denies the Illuminate’s return, the sheer volume of blue beam sightings paint a different picture. A new threat is definitely on the horizon, and some dataminers even found models of the Illuminate in the game files, all but confirming the telepathic squids for Helldivers 2. Arrowhead is simply doing what they do best – keeping the community on their toes.
