Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Edge
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Edge
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • EDGE GTAVI exclusive
  • Join our monthly RPG Club
  • Golden Joystick Awards 2026
  • Deal of the Day
  • Countdown to GTA 6
  • RPG Hub
  • G+RLS Podcast
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. Third Person Shooters
  3. Helldivers 2

100 years after Super Earth saw them off the first time, Helldivers 2 brings back the Illuminate faction in its new Omens of Tyranny update, live now

News
By Ali Jones
last updated 13 December 2024

The Illuminate "will challenge our recruits more than the other factions they have faced"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Helldivers 2
(Image credit: Arrowhead)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

Helldivers 2 is bringing back the Illuminates, a deadly, mind-controlling faction, in a new update that's live right now.

Helldivers 2 Omens of Tyranny, unveiled at The Game Awards, has changed the face of the Galactic War. In an announcement, developer Arrowhead explained how "at the end of the First galactic War, the Helldivers worked together to eradicate the Illuminate." 100 years have passed since then, but the Illuminate have now returned "seemingly out of nowhere."

Described as "advanced, highly-intelligent beings," the Illuminate wield "powerful technology" that looks like dark magic to the untrained eye. They're spreading through the galaxy by using mind control, "abducting citizens of weaker dedication to democratic ideals and brainwashing them." Those citizens - 'the Voteless' - mean that the fight is being taken to the streets of Helldivers 2's new urban settings.

Latest Videos FromGamesRadar+
Watch full video here:

That means that you'll be heading to Super Earth's colonies, abandoning the wide-open spaces that you're used to fighting the Terminds and Automatons in. Instead, you'll be battling in much closer quarters, "where one wrong turn means meeting a horde of Voteless to liberate."

Thankfully, you've got some new tools at your disposal that should help you out. First among those is the new Fast Recon Vehicle - the FRV - which serves as Helldivers 2's first drivable car. These bad boys can fit your entire squad, with a turret emplacement and open windows to help offer some suppressing fire. Sadly, there's no time to get your license, so you'll have to work out how to drive for yourself.

You may like
  • Helldivers 2 Illuminate Wretch attacking player with arm claw How to kill Illuminate Wretches in Helldivers 2
  • Helldivers 2 Crusher winding up overheard slam with club in front of player How to kill Illuminate Crushers in Helldivers 2
  • Helldivers 2 soldier in intro animation with shocked expression Helldivers 2 disables the DSS buff that's been a team-killing monster for months

Helldivers 2: Omens of Tyranny is live right now, and there are plenty of other additions to uncover - especially for those of you who've been waiting all this time for a melee weapon or two.

Here's everything we know about the Helldivers 2 Illuminate faction - including how to kill them.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming PS5 Platforms PlayStation
Ali Jones
Ali Jones
Social Links Navigation
Managing Editor, News

I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for news, shaping the news strategy across the team. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I've run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam's latest indie hit.

Read more
Helldivers 2 Illuminate Wretch attacking player with arm claw
Third Person Shooters How to kill Illuminate Wretches in Helldivers 2
 
 
Helldivers 2 Crusher winding up overheard slam with club in front of player
Third Person Shooters How to kill Illuminate Crushers in Helldivers 2
 
 
Helldivers 2 soldier in intro animation with shocked expression
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 disables the DSS buff that's been a team-killing monster for months
 
 
Helldivers 2 helldiver running away from automatons with Eruptor weapon equipped
Third Person Shooters Best Helldivers 2 Primary Weapons to use against the Terminids, Automatons, and Illuminate
 
 
A screenshot of a Helldiver pointing to the camera in the Helldivers 2 Super Earth Escapes video.
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 celebrates Liberty Day with a free gun, locks out tons of players with new anti-cheat
 
 
Helldivers 2 Scope of Authority
Third Person Shooters All weapons and gear in the Helldivers 2 Scope of Authority Warbond
 
 
Latest in Third Person Shooters
Arc Raiders player in helmet with gas mask
Third Person Shooters A permanent Arc Raiders PvE mode would be easy to do, says Embark CEO, “maybe people can choose"
 
 
Arc Raiders Frozen Trail screenshots of new player armor
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders dev insists AI use was to save actors going "crazy if they had to read all of that"
 
 
A screenshot of a Helldiver pointing to the camera in the Helldivers 2 Super Earth Escapes video.
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 celebrates Liberty Day with a free gun, locks out tons of players with new anti-cheat
 
 
Arc Raiders: Frozen Trail
Third Person Shooters After asking "how am I not banned," Arc Raiders streamer gets hardware banned for aimbotting
 
 
Arc Raiders player holding grenade launcher
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders player says Embark used ChatGPT to respond to them, sent messages intended for others
 
 
Arc Raiders vendor through viewing port
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders devs know PvE has been "polarizing"
 
 
Latest in News
GTA 6
Grand Theft Auto GTA 6 CEO says AI will make creating games easier, but "making a big hit" will be as hard as ever
 
 
GTA 6
Grand Theft Auto Rockstar's owner expected GTA 6 to be big, but not this big: "The numbers will speak for themselves"
 
 
Stellar Blade
Games Dev creates a tool to automatically inform Sam Altman of all the RAM sitting unused in your PC
 
 
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Purah stands in a doorframe
Games Nintendo of America invests in game preservation to save its history for "future generations"
 
 
Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schaeffer looking at each other in Blade Runner 2099
Sci-Fi Shows New Blade Runner 2099 trailer sees Hunter Schafer go undercover as humanity's last hope
 
 
Silksong Sea of Sorrow trailer showing Hornet silhouette amid waves
Action Games Hollow Knight: Silksong players jump at word of "free content packs" and "first giant expansion"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. "Technology benefits us"
    1
    GTA 6 CEO says AI will make creating games easier, but "making a big hit" will be as hard as ever: "Hit creation remains the purview of human beings"
  2. 2
    Rockstar's owner expected GTA 6 to be big, but not this big: "We know that the numbers will speak for themselves soon enough"
  3. 3
    Dev creates a tool to automatically inform Sam Altman of all the RAM sitting unused in your PC as OpenAI co-founder complains
  4. 4
    Nintendo of America invests in game preservation as it looks to hire an archivist to make sure its history is "preserved for future generations"
  5. 5
    New Blade Runner 2099 trailer sees Hunter Schafer go undercover as humanity's last hope amid Replicant takeover

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...