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

Arrowhead has released the first major update for Helldivers 2 in 2025, introducing significant gameplay changes and fixes.

Patch 01.002.101, available now, extends the duration of the gas effect from spray weapons to 10 seconds (up from 6), restores the ability to emote while airborne or ragdolling, and includes numerous balance adjustments and bug fixes. The update, weighing in at over 5GB, hints at potential unannounced additions beyond the documented changes, fueling speculation amongst players as Helldivers 2 approaches its first anniversary and the introduction of the Illuminate enemy faction.

One particularly noteworthy fix, though oddly described, is:

Fixed a small visual bug with the Stalker’s tongue (you don’t want to know what it took to fix it)

Helldivers 2 Update 01.002.101 Patch Notes:

Balancing

General Changes:

Increased spray weapon gas effect duration from 6 to 10 seconds.
Implemented a despawn timer for Illuminate dropship wreckage to prevent path obstruction.

Helldiver:

Added a clause to the Principles of Correct Posture for Safe Lifting, allowing jogging while carrying two-handed items (barrels, SEAF Artillery Rounds).
Authorized grenade and stratagem deployment while leaning from the FRV.
Improved FRV handling for better cornering.

Sidearms:

Increased starting magazines from 2 to 3.
Increased spare magazines from 4 to 5.

Stratagem Support Weapons:

TX-41 Sterilizer: Removed crosshair drift recoil; decreased camera climb recoil. Increased gas effect duration from 6 to 10 seconds.

Armor Passives:

The bug with Siege Ready Armor Passive (granting extra ammo to all weapons, not just primaries) remains unfixed for now, pending further evaluation of potential unforeseen consequences. The Armory description will be updated later.

Backpacks:

AX/TX-13 “Guard Dog” Dog Breath: Reworked for increased effectiveness and unique gas-based mechanics. Now prioritizes enemies unaffected by gas, increasing ammo preservation. Targeting logic improved for closer proximity to the Helldiver, with increased range (10m to 20m). Gas effect duration increased from 6 to 10 seconds.

Stratagems:

MD-6 Anti-Personnel Minefield: Cooldown reduced from 180 to 120 seconds; damage increased from 350 to 700; deployment spread increased by 20% to reduce chain explosions.
MD-I4 Incendiary Mines: Cooldown reduced from 180 to 120 seconds; damage increased from 210 to 300; deployment spread increased by 20% to reduce chain explosions.
MD-17 Anti-Tank Mines: Cooldown reduced from 180 to 120 seconds.
SH-20 Ballistic Shield Backpack: Now blocks melee attacks until destroyed.

Fixes

Resolved Top Priority Issues:

Restored emoting while falling or ragdolling (without reducing fall damage).
Fixed Illuminate spawner ship shields not taking impact grenade damage.
Resolved collision gaps within the Illuminate spawner ship, allowing grenades to destroy it.
Health packs now fully restore stims.
High-damage weapons now detonate spawned Hellbombs.

Crash Fixes, Hangs, and Soft-Locks:

Numerous crash fixes related to various in-game actions (mission abort, hot-joining, emote switching, reloading, etc.).

Social Issues & Matchmaking:

Improved matchmaking for closer regional player pairings.
Fixed chat history clearing issue when entering and exiting missions.

Weapons and Stratagems:

Fixed emplacement retention while using text chat.
Fixed Arc weapon unreliability against Impaler tentacles.
Corrected E/AT-12 Anti-Tank Emplacement armor penetration tag.
Stratagem turrets no longer target Illuminate Tesla Towers.
Fixed visual bug with heat weapon progress bar numbers.
Fixed excessive object displacement by melee weapons.
B-1 Supply Pack now provides stims to other players.
Fixed a bug where players could get stuck in the E/AT-12 Anti-Tank Emplacement after depleting all of its ammunition.

FRV: