Grounded 2 Patch 0.5.0.4 Addresses Progression Breaks, Buggy Issues, and Save Bugs

Patch 0.5.0.4 for Grounded 2 arrived on August 19, 2026, authored by Obsidian Aarik. The update is a bug-fix release with no new content noted, but several of the fixes address issues serious enough to halt progress entirely.

What changed

• Clients can now equip a Torch or Shield while riding a buggy
• Backpacks float underwater again as expected
• The Slip n' Slide Ranger Challenge is functioning properly
• The "Genuine Gathering Ant" buff no longer incorrectly applies loot luck to all items
• Teen character animations when holding two-handed weapons have been improved
• The Toe Biter Buggy now follows the player when wearing a diving suit in the pond
• A mid-air softlock caused by jumping from great heights while in a buggy has been resolved
• Logout saves are now properly overwritten when quitting the game
• A crash affecting clients loading saves with buggies hauling planks is fixed
• The MIX.R now correctly awards Raw Science after a save/load cycle
• Ominent ladders can no longer be damaged, preventing permanent progression breaks
• Founders Pack items are now accessible to users who purchased them
• Players no longer need to jump to mount a zipline when the ZIP.R is unlocked
• "Diving the Depths" will now autocomplete for players who already upgraded the Omni-tool; those players need only harvest — not analyze — the required resources
• Sprinting on the Toe Biter Buggy no longer randomly fails
• Various crash and stability fixes across all platforms

For players whose saves were stalled by the Ominent ladder damage bug or the MIX.R reward failure, this patch removes some of the more frustrating dead ends in early access progression.