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Something big is coming to Helldivers 2 next week: Squid is back on the menu
Developer Arrowhead Game Studios has announced a significant Helldivers 2 update scheduled for August 12, supported by a cryptic teaser video titled 'Face the Unknown.' The trailer depicts a mysterious void consuming planets across the game's galactic map and hints at a formidable new threat awaiting the player base.
The visual clues strongly suggest the return of the Illuminate faction, known colloquially as 'squids,' marking the third faction in the game's conflict. This alien force has remained dormant throughout 2026 following a failed invasion attempt the previous year, making their reappearance with seemingly upgraded forces a significant shift in the ongoing galactic war campaign.
In short
- Helldivers 2 major update arrives August 12 with new threat emerging from a spatial rift
- Illuminate faction ('squids') returning after dormancy throughout 2026
Explained simply
Helldivers 2 is a co-operative action game in which players take on missions as soldiers defending Super Earth, a human-led government, from hostile forces across the galaxy. Its ongoing war campaign features several alien factions, each with different forces and tactics.
The Illuminate, often nicknamed “squids” by players, are one of those factions. They tried to invade before, but have been absent from the campaign during 2026; their return would bring back a third major opponent and could change the course of the game’s galactic conflict.