The Pathetic Helldivers 2 Illuminate Weaknesses And How To Exploit Them

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Since the foolish return of the Illuminates, players have asked what the Helldivers 2 Illuminate Weaknesses are. Thankfully, with the persistent efforts of the Helldivers, we now know the Helldivers 2 Illuminate Weaknesses. And if more Illuminate forces show up, it’s guaranteed that the Helldivers will find out their weaknesses soon enough.

Until then, we’ve got the current Illuminate forces to deal with, and they’re already a handful. But as mentioned, with the perseverance of the Helldivers, their weaknesses have been brought to light. As of the September 16, 2025, patch, there are eight standard Illuminate units to combat.

The Helldivers 2 Illuminate Weaknesses

Three Helldivers engaging a distant Illuminate Harvester surrounded by SEAF corpses — Three Helldivers in the process of avenging their fallen SEAF brethren from a Harvester (Image: Arrowhead)

The Helldivers 2 Illuminate weaknesses range from the small, pitiful enemies to the large, intimidating Illuminate units. And as mentioned, there are currently eight Illuminate enemies that you’ll commonly see on the battlefield. Five of these enemies are Helldiver-sized, and the other four are way larger.

The Helldivers 2 Illuminate weaknesses are as follows:

The Voteless

The Voteless are the most common Illuminate units you’ll face when facing these autocratic menaces. The Voteless operate in hordes that an accompanying Overseer herds, and the Overseer will send them out to attack a Helldiver when detected. And the Voteless horde attacks with their sheer, almost never-ending numbers to overwhelm the Helldivers with no hesitation.

But, despite their perceived size, the Voteless are nothing but fragile wimps that come together to appear large. A single Voteless is no threat to a Helldiver, but when they form a horde, then it’s a problem. But with the right equipment, even the greatest horde of Voteless is no threat to even a single Helldiver.

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The Voteless horde is highly susceptible to any and every CC (Crowd Control) weapon available in the Helldiver arsenal. The simplest method to CC is bullets, lots and lots of bullets, and the perfect weapon to use would be the M-105 Stalwart. Of course, there’s also fire, gas, and especially explosives, but don’t go overkill with barrages for just a small horde.

The Watcher

The Watcher is the only Illuminate unit that can summon reinforcements, so the Watcher is a priority target. The Watcher flies around the battlefield, watching for any signs of Super Earth lifeforms, and when there are signs, it summons reinforcements. But this can all be avoided if a Helldiver eliminates it before it can fire off its flares for support.

The Watcher isn’t resistant to anything, only being protected by light armor, but it is mobile and relatively small. So the Watcher benefits from these attributes to dodge and weave through the bullets of the Helldivers. But other than that, the Watcher can be brought down by every single weapon in the Helldiver arsenal.

The Overseer

The Illuminate Overseer acts as a warden who guides the Voteless into battle and as a soldier for the Illuminates. The Overseer comes in three different variants: the standard Overseer, the Elevated Overseer, and the Crescent Overseer. The three variants are all the same Overseer unit, the only differences being their equipment.

The standard Overseer comes equipped with an energy staff that acts as a melee and ranged weapon, along with a shield. The Crescent Overseer holds a powerful plasma launcher used for indirect fire artillery and direct fire. And finally, the Elevated Overseer uses a burst plasma rifle and grenades, along with a volatile jetpack to fly.

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Both the standard and the Crescent Overseer have light armor and a medium armor helmet. Both Overseers are susceptible to simple bullets; however, heavier penetration rounds are preferable. And the Elevated Overseer is just as vulnerable, in addition to the jetpack that can explode if shot.

The Fleshmob

The Fleshmob is a hulking monstrosity created by fusing several Voteless into one horrendous creature. The Fleshmob may seem to have weak spots with its heads around its body, but it couldn’t be more wrong. The true weakness of the Fleshmob is the explosive weaponry of the Helldivers.

The explosive weaponry in question are the CB-9 Exploding Crossbow, PLAS-101 Purifier, R-36 Eruptor, and many more. Explosive weapons aren’t limited to primary weapons, of course; explosive support weapons are also just as, if not more, effective. In fact, any explosive is effective against the Fleshmob, including stratagems.

The Harvester

The Harvester is a large, bio-mechanical tripod created by the Illuminate for unknown purposes, but that isn’t important. The Harvester is armed with a powerful shield to protect itself and a single robotic eye. This eye can fire a mighty laser beam and a burst of arc energy to fry any target in its way.

But don’t let its impressive weaponry intimidate you; only a coward gets intimidated by a small show of force. And the weapons you should use to take down these rotten beasts are either precision or anti-tank weapons. Precision weapons like the Anti-Material Rifle can target its limbs and sensitive eye, while anti-tank weapons can target its main body.

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The Stingray

The Stingray is an Illuminate close air support aircraft that patrols the skies at blinding speeds. And after detecting a Helldiver, the Stingray swoops down and strafes the ground with energy projectiles to vaporize Helldivers. Afterwards, the Stingray flies away to line up another strafing run.

The Stingray features medium armor throughout its entire fuselage, meaning Helldivers can bring it down with just small arms. But that can take several magazines, and by then the Stingray has already completed its mission. So the more efficient method would be to use medium, heavy, or anti-tank support weapons.

Will There Be More Helldivers 2 Illuminate Weaknesses?

A Helldiver watching distance Illuminate Stingrays circling the battlefield — A Helldiver watching the movements of Illuminate Stingrays (Image: Arrowhead)

As more enemies arrive in the Illuminate army, the list of Helldivers 2 Illuminate weaknesses will expand. And the Helldivers will persist in the extermination of their autocratic ways with the knowledge of the Helldivers 2 Illuminate weaknesses. But until that day arrives, you and your squad will now know how to take down the current roster of Illuminate scum.

So, as always, gear up, get in your pod, and show those scum the true way of life, our way of life, Helldiver!

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