Helldivers 2 has reportedly emerged as Europe's best-selling game for February. Meanwhile, its players debate whether a third faction - a returning The Illuminate - is making its way into the land of democracy or that's merely ‘false propaganda.’
Helldivers 2 Might Bring Back The Illuminate While It Tops European Game Sales
Speculation Over the Return of The Illuminate as Third Faction
- [1] Screenshot taken from u/Trapaknese's footage on Reddit
While Helldivers 2 dominated the sales charts in Europe, a different kind of buzz was brewing within its player community. Reports emerged on online forums detailing encounters with mysterious blue lasers that players have claimed were encounters with The Illuminate faction from the first game.
Players noted The Illuminate's history of using advanced technology and psychic abilities to wage war. Director Johan Pilestedt had a tongue-in-cheek response to these reports, saying "Blue beams aren't real, it can't hurt you," which may just be taken as a playful response, so players might have to hold out longer for a confirmation.
- [2] Screenshot taken from Reddit thread discussion
Others recalled encounters with Illuminate-like tactics and technology, while some dismissed the sightings as mere coincidence or environmental hazards. "See that plant that he ran into, those explode into shrapnel when they’re hit. That shrapnel ricochets off of armour and the ricochet effect is blue," one player contended.
Physical and Digital Best-Seller
According to GSD data reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Helldivers 2 topped sales charts in both physical and digital sales across major European markets for the month of February. Helldivers 2 launched on PC and PS5 simultaneously and garnered over 56% of its sales from the PC platform.
Particularly noteworthy is that the game's sales continued to climb even after launch, with a 70% increase in its second week and a subsequent 3% rise in its third week—a rarity in the gaming industry where sales are observed to typically decline after the initial launch period.
The data from GSD covered both physical sales from major European markets and digital sales from leading publishers, excluding Nintendo and 505 Games. It is also worth noting that the data did not include fellow chart-topper, Palworld, as the research does not track developer Pocketpair.
"To give you a sense of how that game has done, after four weeks its sales are tracking 5% behind what Sony's previous blockbuster, Spider-Man 2, managed to achieve," noted GamesIndustry.biz in the report. Following Helldivers 2 in the sales charts are EA Sports FC 24, FF7 Rebirth, GTA 5, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, as the top 5 performing games in Europe.
Source:
European game sales strong in February thanks to Helldivers 2 | European Monthly Charts
Helldivers 2 is a major hit in the UK | UK February Charts
Helldivers 2 Players Are Convinced The Game's Third Faction Has Secretly Arrived
[1] Reddit thread: Blue Laser Sighting!! The Rumors May Be True!
[2]Reddit thread discussion
u/Dye335 Reddit thread
