Helldivers 2 Enemy Factions: Terminids, Automatons, Illuminate

Helldivers 2 has three enemy factions: the Terminids (bugs), the Automatons (bots) and the Illuminate (squids). Each one fights in a completely different way, so the loadout that crushes one front can fail badly on another. Here's how each faction works, the enemies to watch for and what to bring.

Last checked: November 9, 2026.

The three factions at a glance

You choose which faction to fight when you pick a planet on the Galactic War map. Major Orders often push the whole community toward one front, so it pays to learn all three.

Terminids (bugs)

The Terminids are insect-like aliens that started as livestock. Super Earth farmed them for Element-710, a fuel taken from their remains, until they escaped and spread across the galaxy. They win by numbers: most bugs try to close the distance and attack in melee, and the swarm keeps coming, so closing their nests matters.

Key enemies listed on PlayStation's official game page include the Scavenger, Warrior, Hunter, Stalker, Bile Spewer, Charger, Brood Commander, Bile Titan and Dragonroach. Updates have added more:

• Shriekers, flying bugs, joined in March 2024.
• The Impaler, Spore Charger and Alpha Commander arrived with the Escalation of Freedom update in August 2024. The Spore Charger hides in its own fog until it's right on top of you.
• Burrowing Rupture bugs came with the Into the Unjust update in September 2025. These Warriors, Spewers and Chargers dig underground, move toward you and burst out to attack. The same update added the Dragonroach, a flying monster that dives at Helldivers and sprays burning bile, along with the Gloom-covered Hive Worlds and their caves.
• The Noxious strain arrived on November 3, 2026. Noxious Scavengers are faster than normal Scavengers and poison you with every bite. The Noxious Spewer is a large, fast bug that fires webs: a hit stops you from sprinting. Its head has medium armor, but its web-filled abdomen has none. Hitting the abdomen bursts it and webs everyone nearby, bugs and Helldivers alike, so keep your distance.

Poison is new with the Noxious strain. A HUD icon shows when you're poisoned. Light poisoning blurs your vision and drains your health; heavy poisoning drains it faster and stops you sprinting. Stims cure it.

Bug missions often come with a strain that changes which variants show up, such as Rupture or Spore Burst. Since October 2026, the Bile strain, which brings Bile Warriors, Spewers and Scavengers, is controlled by Arrowhead's Game Masters and flagged in game like the others.

How to fight them: Keep moving and stay with your squad, because being caught alone is how most bug dives go wrong. Shotguns, flamethrowers and grenades are Arrowhead's own picks against fast, fragile bugs like Noxious Scavengers. Bring at least one armor-piercing weapon for Chargers and Bile Titans, and save grenades to close bug holes and destroy nests.

Automatons (bots)

The Automatons are robots built by the Cyborgs, a faction Super Earth defeated in the first Helldivers game. Instead of rushing you, they shoot: riflemen, rocket troops, heavily armored walkers and tanks, backed by artillery and dropships that land fresh squads.

Key enemies on the official list include Troopers, Raiders and Marauders, the Commissar, the Scout Strider, the Berserker, the Devastator, the Hulk, the Tank and the Dropship. The Rocket Tank arrived in August 2024. Bot armor dents and breaks off under sustained, precise fire.

In February 2026, the Machinery of Oppression update brought the Cyborgs back as a subfaction during the push on the Automaton homeworld, Cyberstan:

• Agitators are heavily armored commanders that can take control of Automaton squads in the field.
• Radicals are augmented Cyborgs that rush you from every direction.
• The Vox Engine is a huge rolling war machine piloted by a Cyborg officer. It carries dual laser cannons, rockets and laser gatlings while blasting propaganda.

How to fight them: Use cover and don't stand in the open; bots punish anyone who trades shots in plain view. A precise, hard-hitting weapon such as the Anti-Materiel Rifle works well against bot armor. Destroy their fabricators, the factories that churn out new bots, by throwing a grenade or another explosive into the vent. Expect a tougher fight at the top end: a February 2026 patch raised the intensity on difficulty 9 and up, and the Automaton front changed the most.

Illuminate (squids)

The Illuminate are an ancient, technologically advanced race that Super Earth believed it had wiped out in the first Galactic War. They returned on December 12, 2024, with the Omens of Tyranny update, and fight with energy shields, plasma weapons and floating and ground units. They also turn people into weapons: the Voteless are colonists whose minds the Illuminate have taken over, and they come at you in shambling hordes.

Key enemies on the official list include the Voteless, Watcher, Overseer and Harvester. Later updates added:

• May 2025: the Stingray, an Illuminate jet fighter that makes strafing runs; the Crescent Overseer, which fires barrages at Helldivers hiding in cover; and the Fleshmob, a brute stitched together from Voteless bodies. Since October 2026, destroying a Crescent Overseer's backpack kills it.
• August 2026: two mutated enemies from the Void. The Wretch is fast and nimble, dodging and leaping at you. The Crusher soaks up heavy damage and regenerates, so you have to keep pouring damage into it without letting up.

Illuminate enemies are now grouped into fleets, so the mix you face depends on which fleet holds the planet.

Many Illuminate battles take place in cities, with close quarters, dark alleys and many routes to cover. The Heart of Democracy update in May 2025 took the fight to Super Earth itself, with civilians on the streets and SEAF soldiers fighting beside you. Be careful: killing civilians with friendly fire is punished.

How to fight them: Bring weapons that can handle a horde of Voteless at close range, and something with real damage for heavier units such as Harvesters and Fleshmobs. In cities, move as a group, watch every corner and let the SEAF troops soak up some attention. The Fast Recon Vehicle (FRV) appears in colony maps and can plow through lighter enemies.

What to bring against each faction

For more on picking the right tools, see our stratagems guide. Enemy numbers and types also scale with the difficulty level you choose.

Frequently asked questions

How many enemy factions are in Helldivers 2?

There are three: the Terminids, the Automatons and the Illuminate. Terminids and Automatons were there at launch in February 2024, and the Illuminate joined on December 12, 2024.

When did the Illuminate come to Helldivers 2?

The Illuminate arrived on December 12, 2024, with the Omens of Tyranny update. They were later expanded with new units in May 2025 and with mutated Void enemies in August 2026.

What are the Voteless in Helldivers 2?

The Voteless are human colonists who have been mind-controlled by the Illuminate. They attack in large, slow hordes and are often the bulk of an Illuminate force.

What is the Noxious strain?

It's a Terminid strain added on November 3, 2026. Its Noxious Scavengers and Noxious Spewers poison Helldivers, and the Spewer's webs stop you from sprinting. Stims cure the poison.

Are the Cyborgs in Helldivers 2?

Yes. The Cyborgs returned in February 2026 with the Machinery of Oppression update, adding the Agitator, the Radical and the Vox Engine to the Automaton side.

Which weapons work best against Automatons?

Precise, armor-piercing weapons such as the Anti-Materiel Rifle work well, along with explosives for fabricators. Fight from cover, because bots have guns, rockets and artillery.

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