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, introduces significant gameplay adjustments and bug fixes. Now available, the patch extends the gas duration from spray weapons, reinstates emoting during flight or ragdoll states, and implements numerous balance refinements.

Approaching its first anniversary, Helldivers 2's evolving Galactic War narrative, fueled by the recent Illuminate faction addition, leaves players anticipating future developments. The update's substantial 5GB+ size hints at potential unannounced content beyond the documented changes.

A noteworthy, albeit peculiar, fix deserves mention:

Resolved a minor visual glitch affecting the Stalker's tongue (details omitted for the sake of sanity).

Helldivers 2 Update 01.002.101 Patch Notes:

Balancing:

General Changes: Spray weapon gas effects now last 10 seconds (increased from 6). A despawn timer prevents Illuminate dropship wreckage from obstructing pathways.
Helldiver: Jogging is now permitted while carrying two-handed items (barrels, SEAF Artillery Rounds).
FRV: Grenade and stratagem deployment authorized while leaning from the FRV. FRV handling improved for enhanced cornering.
Sidearms: Starting magazines increased to 3 (from 2); spare magazines increased to 5 (from 4).
Stratagem Support Weapons (TX-41 Sterilizer): Crosshair drift and camera climb recoil reduced. Gas effect duration increased to 10 seconds.
Armor Passives (Siege Ready): A bug granting extra ammo to all weapons (not just primaries as intended) remains unfixed for further evaluation. The Armory description will be updated accordingly.
Backpacks (AX/TX-13 “Guard Dog”): Reworked for improved effectiveness, focusing on gas-based mechanics. Ammo conservation implemented by prioritizing non-gassed targets. Targeting logic refined to prevent excessive drone roaming, originating from the Helldiver's position (not the drone). Targeting range increased to 20m (from 10m). Gas effect duration increased to 10 seconds.
Stratagems (MD-6, MD-I4, MD-17): Cooldowns reduced to 120 seconds (from 180). Damage increased significantly. Mine deployment spread widened to reduce chain explosions. SH-20 Ballistic Shield Backpack now blocks melee attacks until destroyed.

Fixes:

Top Priority: Emoting reinstated during falls/ragdolls (without affecting fall damage). Illuminate spawner ship shields now vulnerable to impact grenades. Collision gaps within Illuminate spawners fixed. Health packs fully restore stims. High-damage weapons now detonate Hellbombs.
Crash Fixes: Numerous crash fixes implemented, addressing issues related to mission aborts, hot-joining, emote switching, fires, drop-in sequences, reloading, armor changes, tutorial completion, extraction, projectile fire, objective carrying, text language changes, and SG-20 Halt reloading.
Social & Matchmaking: Improved matchmaking for regional proximity. Difficulty lobby matching improved. Chat history preservation fixed.
Weapons & Stratagems: Emplacement retention during text chat fixed. Arc weapon accuracy against Impaler tentacles improved. E/AT-12 Anti-Tank Emplacement armor penetration tag corrected. Stratagem turrets no longer target Illuminate Tesla Towers. Visual heat weapon bug in the weapon wheel fixed. Melee weapon physics adjusted. B-1 Supply Pack stim functionality restored.
FRV: FRV reinforcement to prevent minor impact explosions. Camera improvements for visual appeal and underground avoidance. Rooftop drops reduced. Non-QWERTY keyboard input support added. Enemy launch distance adjusted.
Helldiver: Ragdolling into FRV fixed. Civilian car vaulting/climbing restored. Post-ragdoll sliding reduced. Stuck prone animation fixed. Pick-up animation issues resolved.
Enemies: Stalker tongue visual bug fixed. Enemy reaction to missed shots improved.
Miscellaneous: Various audio, civilian blocking, purple question mark frequency, floating head syndrome, and negligible damage bugs resolved. Enemy sinking implemented near terminals/extraction.

Known Issues:

Top Priority: Black box mission terminal clipping. Stratagem ball unpredictable bounces. DSSPathfinding, Evacuate Colonists mission issues. Dolby Atmos PS5 incompatibility.
Medium Priority: Pelican-1 ramp sticking. Explosive ragdolling. Cape display issues. Unauthorized spacewalks. Guard Dog ammo indicator. Barrager Tank stats. LAS-5 Scythe zoom. Charge-up weapon firing inconsistencies.

This update significantly enhances Helldivers 2's gameplay and stability. While some issues remain, Arrowhead's commitment to ongoing improvements is evident.