Helldivers 2’s Battle of Super Earth Win Should Allow for a Break

As Helldivers 2 continues its Heart of Democracy update with players victorious in the Battle of Super Earth, a short-term break from the defeated Illuminate could be the perfect opportunity to refresh and refocus on the game’s other factions. With Super Earth besieged by a full-scale Illuminate invasion after Helldiver 2 players failed a previous Major Order, Arrowhead Games Studios’ latest update to the ever-evolving story and gameplay was arguably its most ambitious yet. Fortunately, however, the successful defense of the eponymous Heart of Democracy and subsequent retreat of the Illuminate are far from the end of Helldivers 2‘s ongoing war.

But as Arrowhead prepares for its next major update, Helldivers 2 could use the time until then to turn its focus back to its original Terminid and Automaton factions as a respite from fighting the Illuminate. Between their initial debut in Helldivers 2‘s Omens of Tyranny update in late 2024 and the more recent Battle of Super Earth, the Illuminate has virtually defined the game’s trajectory in recent months until now. While this third warring faction is likely to make its eventual return, it could be an ideal time for Helldivers 2 to remind players of the threats posed by the Terminids and Automatons until then.

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Helldiver 2’s Battle of Super Earth Promises Lasting Consequences

Despite winning the Battle of Super Earth and fending off the Illuminate invasion, the victory came at a high cost, with a news dispatch confirming that only two Mega Cities remain standing and the President killed in action.

VICTORY #Helldivers2 Duty. Loyalty. Obedience. These words are the commitments of every single member of the Super Earth Armed Forces. Many held to those commitments and made the ultimate sacrifice for democracy. Today, the sun rises on our little blue marble because of it. Super-Earth stands.
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— Helldivers Alerts (@helldiversalert.bsky.social) May 30, 2025 at 12:51 PM

Even with the Illuminate withdrawing from Super Earth’s battlespace, the Helldivers have a potentially long road ahead to rebuild back home as well as reclaim the territory lost elsewhere during said battle from the game’s other factions. While the Heart of Democracy was successfully defended, the further reaches of the Galactic Map now reveal the extent to which Terminids and Automatons have taken control.

Given that players have waged war on multiple fronts against both the Terminids and Automatons, there will likely always be planets in need of liberation from either faction. However, the sudden Illuminate invasion has forced the Helldivers to focus everything on defending Super Earth, seemingly allowing the Terminids and Automatons to threaten to take more planets than ever before as a result. Unless players can rise above Helldivers 2‘s Battle of Super Earth, then Arrowhead’s next update could still use the damage done by the Illuminate to continue shaping the game as the Terminds and Automatons bear down on the Helldivers.

After the Illuminate, Helldivers 2 Should Focus On Terminids and Automatons

Though the Illuminate will likely make a big comeback at some point in the future, Helldivers 2 has a strategic opportunity to return to its roots with players liberating planets from the Terminids and Automatons. While the teased existence and eventual arrival of a third faction in Helldivers 2 helped shake up the game, the arguably unavoidable focus on the “new” Illuminate overshadowed both other factions. With this in mind, Arrowhead should capitalize on the Illuminate’s defeat and reestablish the Terminids and Automatons as credible threats to democracy and freedom, just as they were at launch.

Helldivers 2 Could Take Its Original Factions To New Levels

Even with the introduction of the Illuminate as a newfound threat, Arrowhead ensured its existing Terminid and Automaton factions continued to evolve by adding new subgroups like the Predator Strain and the Incineration Corps. With extensive galactic territory now under Terminid and Automaton control following the Battle of Super Earth, this could provide fertile grounds for another evolution within each faction. As a demonstration of the risks faced when Helldivers 2‘s enemy factions are left unchecked, new types of units, structures, or even subgroups could revamp the game’s combat and gameplay ahead of its next update.