Helldivers 2’s First Big Update of 2025 Lets You Emote While Ragdolling Once Again, Tweaks Balance, and More

Helldivers 2's substantial 2025 update, patch 01.002.101, is now live, introducing significant gameplay adjustments and bug fixes. This over 5GB patch extends the gas duration from spray weapons, restores emoting during flight or ragdoll states, and implements numerous balance changes.

Approaching its first anniversary, and with the recent Illuminate faction addition, players anticipate the next chapter in the Galactic War narrative. The update's considerable size hints at potential unannounced content beyond the documented changes.

A noteworthy, albeit bizarre, fix deserves mention:

Resolved a peculiar visual glitch affecting the Stalker's tongue (details best left unsaid).

Helldivers 2 Update 01.002.101 Patch Notes:

Balancing:

• General: Increased spray weapon gas duration to 10 seconds (from 6). Implemented a despawn timer for Illuminate dropship wreckage to prevent path obstructions.
• Helldiver: Jogging while carrying two-handed items (barrels, SEAF Artillery Rounds) is now permitted.
• FRV: Grenade and stratagem deployment authorized while leaning from the FRV. FRV handling improved for cornering.
• Sidearms: Increased starting magazines to 3 (from 2), and spare magazines to 5 (from 4).
• Stratagem Support Weapons (TX-41 Sterilizer): Removed crosshair drift recoil; decreased camera climb recoil. Increased spray weapon gas duration to 10 seconds (from 6).
• Armor Passives (Siege Ready): A bug granting extra ammo to all weapons (not just primaries as intended) remains unfixed for now, pending further evaluation. The Armory description will be updated later.
• Backpacks (AX/TX-13 “Guard Dog”): Reworked for improved effectiveness, focusing on gas-based mechanics. Ammo preservation now prioritizes non-gassed enemies. Targeting logic refined, originating from the Helldiver's position, with increased range (20m from 10m). Increased spray weapon gas duration to 10 seconds (from 6).
• Stratagems (MD-6 Anti-Personnel, MD-I4 Incendiary, MD-17 Anti-Tank Mines): Cooldown reduced to 120 seconds (from 180). Damage increased significantly. Mine deployment spread increased by 20% to reduce chain explosions.
• SH-20 Ballistic Shield Backpack: Now blocks melee attacks until destroyed.

Fixes:

• Top Priority: Emoting restored during falls/ragdolling (without fall damage reduction). Illuminate spawner ship shields now take impact grenade damage. Collision gaps within Illuminate spawner ships fixed. Health packs fully restore stims. High-damage weapons now detonate Hellbombs.
• Crash Fixes: Numerous crash fixes addressing various scenarios (mission abort, hot-joining, emote switching, fires, drop-in, reloading, armory changes, tutorial completion, extraction, projectile fire, objective carrying, text language changes, SG-20 Halt reloading).
• Social/Matchmaking: Improved matchmaking for regional proximity. Matching with similar difficulty lobbies improved. Chat history preservation fixed.
• Weapons/Stratagems: Emplacement retention during text chat. Arc weapon accuracy improved against Impaler tentacles. E/AT-12 Anti-Tank Emplacement armor penetration tag corrected. Stratagem turrets no longer target Illuminate Tesla Towers. Heat weapon visual bug in weapon wheel fixed. Melee weapon physics adjusted. B-1 Supply Pack stim sharing restored.
• FRV: FRV reinforcement to prevent minor impact explosions. FRV camera improvements. Reduced chance of FRV deployment on rooftops. FRV keybindings support non-QWERTY keyboards. Fixed enemy launch distance when hit by FRV.
• Helldiver: Fixed ragdolling issues affecting FRV interaction, car vaulting, ground sliding, and water animation.
• Enemies: Stalker tongue visual bug fixed. Enemy reaction to missed shots improved.
• Miscellaneous: Various audio, civilian pathing, visual (floating heads), and damage feedback fixes.

Known Issues:

• Top Priority: Black box terminal clipping; DSSP pathfinding; Evacuate Colonists mission pathfinding; Dolby Atmos on PS5.
• Medium Priority: Pelican-1 extraction issues; explosive ragdolling; cape display; "This is Democracy" emote issue; Guard Dog ammo indicator; Barrager Tank stats; LAS-5 Scythe zoom; charge-up weapon firing.

This update represents a significant step forward for Helldivers 2, addressing player concerns and enhancing the overall experience.