The Helldivers 2 factions include the Terminids, the Automatons, and maybe a future third faction to be introduced, with players having expected the alien Illuminate to be added at some point ever since the game was released. Even then, then two existing factions - the Bugs and the Bots - are incredibly deadly on their own terms, one made of giant insects and the other made of high-tech robots.
We've got a full Helldivers 2 enemies list to take you through the individual soldiers and enemy types that comprise each faction - what you'll actually be fighting off in missions - but if you want a simpler overview of all the HD2 factions and what additions are planned for the future, we've got everything you need to know below.
What are the factions in Helldivers 2?
Right now there are two enemy factions in Helldivers 2 that players can go up against:
- The Terminids / "The Bugs". Coming from the top right corner of the Galactic map, the Terminids are huge insects that tend to focus on melee attacks, swarming opponents in great numbers, and frequently fire jets of corrosive bile. Terminids are usually vulnerable to fire, and while many of them have armor, they're generally less well protected than the other faction in play…
- The Automatons / "The Bots". Based in the top left corner of the Galactic map, many consider the Automatons - steel robots with glowing red lights - to be the deadlier of the two factions. The bots use more armor plating, have a greater emphasis on ranged firearms, and struggle more against energy weapons than the bugs do.
Will the Illuminate or a third faction be added to Helldivers 2?
Helldivers 1 launched with the same two factions in play, only for a third to be added later on - the Illuminate. If the Terminids are stand-ins for the bugs from Starship Troopers, and the Automatons for the Terminators, then the Illuminate are generally representative of a certain kind of high-minded, robed alien seen broadly in fiction similar to the Covenant from Halo, or the Kaminoans from Star Wars, though their technology has something of a "space magic" vibe to it.
At time of writing, Arrowhead Game Studios has not revealed any plans to add the Illuminate in Helldivers 2 - or any other faction - to the game. That being said, many players suspect that a new faction is coming, owing in part to the fact that Helldivers 1 also launched with just two factions, and partly because the Galactic Map is currently one-third empty, with the other two thirds controlled by the Terminids and Automatons respectively. That means there's a perfect empty space for a new force to enter the fray - but right now it's just theorising.
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