Helldivers 2 Patch 1.001.002: Escalation of Freedom Is Out With Massive Changes

Greg Martin August 6, 2024

The latest patch for Helldivers 2, designated as Patch 1.001.002 and titled “Escalation of Freedom,” introduces a substantial amount of new content and enhancements to the game. Notable additions include the introduction of a new extreme difficulty level called Super Helldive, tailored for highly skilled players and featuring challenging new adversaries and objectives. The update also brings a new swamp planet with environmental hazards such as Acid Storms, alongside larger enemy outposts and additional mission objectives.

Moreover, the patch incorporates new bugs and bots to augment the game’s opposition, including the Impaler and the Rocket Tank. Significant balance adjustments have been made to weapons and stratagems to refine the overall gameplay experience.

Addressing technical issues, the update rectifies multiple crashes and implements enhancements to the social menu system, enhancing user reliability and experience. Various fixes have been introduced for weapons and stratagems, including corrections to descriptions and functionality issues. Miscellaneous fixes encompass a wide array of in-game problems, ranging from soft locks to visual glitches and performance enhancements, in addition to rectifying gameplay mechanics-related bugs.

Helldivers 2 Patch 1.001.002 Complete Patch Notes

Overview

Difficulty Level 10 – Super Helldive
New mission objectives
Bigger enemy outposts
New Bugs and Bots
New environmental hazards
New swamp world
Crash fixes
Social menu fixes
Balance work
Miscellaneous fixes

Major Updates

Difficulty Level 10 – Super Helldive
- A new extreme difficulty level for the most skilled Helldivers.
New mission objectives
- Two new faction-specific optional objectives: assaulting Automaton human processing plants and extracting a living larva sample from Terminid territory.
Bigger enemy outposts
- Assault Terminid strongholds and Automaton fortresses in Super Helldive difficulty.
New Bugs and Bots
- New enemies such as the Impaler, Rocket Tank, Reinforced Scout Strider, and Spore Charger.
New swamp planet
- An eerie, foggy swamp world with new challenges.
New environmental hazards
- Acid Storms that temporarily lower armor for both enemies and players.

Balancing

SG-8S Slugger
- Increased stagger force, spread, and drag.
SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
- Decreased magazines from 6 to 4, increased recoil from 28 to 41.
GP-31 Grenade Pistol
- Decreased ammo capacity from 8 to 6, increased rounds replenished from an ammo box from 2 to 4.
CB-9 Exploding Crossbow
- Now one-handed.
AX/AR-23 Guard Dog
- Increased magazines from 6 to 8.
Orbital Walking Barrage
- Increased salvos from 3 to 5, decreased movement speed by 40%.
Orbital 120mm HE Barrage
- Decreased cooldown from 240s to 180s, reduced time between salvos.

Gameplay

Removed the operation modifier Atmospheric Interference.
Added “Poor Intel” modifier for automatons, giving a search radius for objectives.
Corrosive acid planets no longer have the Intense Heat environment modifier.
Reduced frequency and durability of Gunship Patrols.
Improved armory weapon preview controls and updated orders UI.
Energy shields now block snowstorms and sandstorms.
New grief protection system allowing kicked players to continue missions.

Fixes

Crash Fixes
- Decreased chances of crashing related to alt+tab, Warbonds, loadout tabs, PSN friend invites, booster selections, and more.
Weapon & Stratagem Fixes
- Various fixes for FS-55 Devastator, ARC-12 Blitzer, GP-31 Grenade Pistol, LAS-7 Dagger, SG-22 Bushwacker, LAS-16 Sickle, and more.
Social Menu fixes
- General improvements, resolved inconsistent options, improved UX for actions like kick/block/unfriend.
Miscellaneous fixes
- Resolved game soft locks, visual glitches, performance improvements, and issues with gameplay mechanics.