Helldivers 2 update 1.003 is available to download on PS5 and PC. According to the official Helldivers 2 version 1.003.000 patch notes, the latest update introduces new weapon customization, new Illuminate enemies, and sweeping weapon balance changes. Fire and shrapnel mechanics are overhauled for realism and strategy. Apart from this, Helldivers 2 patch 1.003 also fixes numerous bug and crash, while buffs and reworks bring better weapon handling and combat depth to Helldivers.
Helldivers 2 1.003 Patch Notes – May 13, 2025
Summary of Key Changes:
- Introduced Weapon Customization System with configurable attachments.
- Added new Illuminate faction enemies: Stingray, Crescent Overseer, Fleshmob.
- Comprehensive weapon balance updates: spread, drag, sway, fire damage, and shrapnel mechanics.
- Significant sidearm and primary weapon adjustments, including the Ultimatum and Eruptor.
- Multiple bug fixes addressing crashes, soft-locks, and weapon issues.
Weapon Customization System
Customize Your Arsenal
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New system allows personalized weapon configurations.
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Adjust sights, magazines, muzzles, underbarrels, and skins.
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Saved loadouts can be swapped during mission setup.
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Controller issue: Customization cancel bug fix coming in next hotfix.
New Illuminate Enemies
Enemy Additions:
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Stingray – Aerial jetfighter with strafing runs.
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Crescent Overseer – Launches barrages at Helldivers in cover.
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Fleshmob – Mutated Voteless parts, highly resilient melee units.
Weapon Balance Updates
Spread Adjustments:
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Reduced spread across most weapons, especially SMGs and sidearms.
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Notable reductions:
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AR-23C: 24 → 4
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SMG-32 Reprimand: 40 → 5
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MP-98 Knight: 25 → 5
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Drag Rebalancing:
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Increased drag for pistol-caliber weapons (e.g., SMGs) to reduce long-range efficiency.
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PLAS-39 drag reduced drastically for energy weapon consistency.
Sway Changes:
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Sway recalibrated based on ergonomics; increased on most sidearms.
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Reduced sway on weapons like JAR-5 Dominator and R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper.
Melee Weapon Stamina:
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Stamina cost reduced from 0.1 → 0.05 for all melee weapons.
Shrapnel Overhaul:
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Always spawns in 360°, improved reliability.
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Adjusted performance against armor based on angle.
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Balance Tweaks:
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R-36, G-6, AC-8: Less effective armor penetration.
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Frag grenade: Shrapnel 30 → 35.
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Autocannon Flak: Shrapnel 25 → 30.
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Fire Damage Scaling:
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Burn damage now scales with enemy size.
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Larger enemies take more damage but ignite slower.
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Flamethrowers Buffed:
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FLAM-66: +25% mag capacity.
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FLAM-40: +30% mag capacity.
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Primary & Sidearm Changes
Key Primary Weapon Changes:
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AR-23 Series: Spread lowered across variants, mag capacity increased on AR-23P.
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SMG Series: Drastically reduced spread; increased sway and drag for realism.
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R-36 Eruptor:
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Spread 10 → 5, sway reduced, fire rate increased.
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Reload exploit fixed; balanced with stat boosts.
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Sidearms:
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GP-31 Ultimatum:
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Explosion damage 1000 → 2000.
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Projectile damage reduced; explosion is now the main damage source.
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Can’t destroy Stratagem Jammers or Warp Ship shields anymore.
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General Sidearms:
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Spread significantly reduced.
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Sway increased slightly for realism.
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Stratagem and Backpack Adjustments
Stratagems:
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RS-422 Railgun: Spread reduced 10 → 0.1.
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FLAM-40: Magazine increased by 30%.
Backpacks:
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LIFT-850: Less likely to ragdoll on landing due to increased break force.
Eagle & Enemy Adjustments
Eagles:
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110mm Rockets:
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Increased stagger strength and armor penetration at angles.
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Automatons:
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Bunker Turret: Spread 20 → 50.
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Gunship: Armor reduced, fire rate and accuracy increased.
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Conflagration Devastator: Damage per pellet reduced.
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Bulk Fabricator: Health 1500 → 5000.
Terminids:
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Spore Spewers: Demolition level 60 → 50.
Illuminate:
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Landed Warp Ships: Easier to destroy with Anti-Tank weapons after shields are down.
Fixes and Performance
Crash Fixes, Hangs and Soft-locks:
- Fixed a crash which could occur when returning to your Super Destroyer from a host parked at a planet with the Democracy Space Station in orbit, if the Democracy Space Station had just moved to a new planet
- Fixed a crash when writing a specific sequence of text in the chat
- Fixed a crash that could occur after partially destroying an Automaton convoy
- Fixed crash when attempting to drop into a mission on Tien Kwan
Weapons and Stratagems
- The SMG-37 Defender does not trigger the anti tank mines anymore
- Improved the effectiveness of flashlight attachments
- Fixed a bug that was causing the camera to be stuck in Aim Down Sights (ADS) mode when discarding the MLS-4X Commando when utilizing that camera mode
- Cancelling laser weapon reloads no longer gives them infinite ammo
Miscellaneous Fixes
- Fixed an issue with intermittent flickering of distant visual effects
- Fixed an issue where the FRV and Helldivers embarked in it would get covered in blood after a Helldiver would attack the FRV from any passenger seat
- Spore Scavengers can now properly attack
- Vehicles now correctly show the appropriate enemy blood colors
- Lowered the target node for the Illuminate tesla tower so that the StA-X3 W.A.S.P. Launcher can properly hit it
- No longer shows the reconnect popup if the host leaves while on the Destroyer
- Fixed an issue that resulted in some cases where the momentum could get reset at the end of moving emotes
- Sample containers can now be properly pinged again
- Corrected misaligned logo of the Borderline Justice Warbond
- Fixed an issue with the illuminate Cognitive Disruptor not turning off correctly for hot joining players
- Decreased a big hitch that could occur during the dropdown sequence
- The game is now showing the correct amount of total samples on missions
- Fixed a bug that caused held stratagems to be stuck in Helldivers hands after taking fall damage
- Performance improvement in the particle subsystem
Previously, a minor Helldivers 2 version 1.000.200
Download free Helldivers 2 update 1.003 on PlayStation 5 and PC.
