Grounded 2 Patch 0.5.1: Infused Ooze Cut, Omni-Axe Changes
Short version: 0.5.1 (September 24, 2026) removes Infused Ooze from the game and changes the Tier 4 Omni-Axe recipe, only three weeks after 0.5.0.5 made the Leviathan fight the way to get that upgrade. It also adds Milk Molar upgrades, makes buggies quicker to join fights, and fixes Pond water. Two of its fixes, Omni-Clipper friendly fire and Founder's Pack skins, had been listed as fixed before.
What changed: 0.5.0.5 → 0.5.1
| Area | 0.5.0.5 | 0.5.1 | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infused Ooze and the Tier 4 Omni-Axe | Ooze came from the O.G.R.R. Toe Biter Leviathan fight; the Tier 4 Omni-Axe needed that fight | Infused Ooze removed from the game; Tier 4 Omni-Axe recipe changed | Ooze is no longer part of the upgrade. The notes don't list the new recipe, so check it at your workbench before farming anything. |
| Milk Molar upgrades | Existing upgrade tiers only | New Molar Upgrades for Mega Milk Molars, Milk Molars and Moldy Milk Molars; more tiers available | Molars you've collected can go further. Moldy Milk Molars upgrade your buggies, so this also makes buggies stronger. |
| Buggy perception | Previous perception (no number given) | Perception buffed (no number given) | Your buggy should join fights alongside you more readily. |
| Omni-Clipper damaging other players | Listed as fixed in 0.5.0.5 | Fixed again | The first fix didn't fully hold. If friendly fire from the Omni-Clipper still happens on 0.5.1, report it. |
| Omni-Tool gathering speed | Releasing and pressing Chop repeatedly gathered faster | Fixed | Button-mashing Chop no longer speeds up gathering. Expect normal gathering speed. |
| Pond water | Couldn't drink from the Pond or fill the Ladybug Buggy's Reservoir with Pond Water | Both fixed | The Pond works as a water source again, for you and the Ladybug Buggy. |
| Buggy inventory | Items could disappear when moved into a Buggy's inventory with a mouse | Fixed | On PC, moving items into a buggy is safe again. Items already lost aren't mentioned as restored. |
| PS5 and Steam crossplay | PS5 players couldn't see Steam players' online status; Shared Worlds still reachable on PS5 with crossplay off | Both fixed | PS5 and Steam friends can see each other online. Turning crossplay off on PS5 now also closes Shared Worlds. |
Where 0.5.1 fits
0.5.1 is the first update since Into the Abyss that isn’t a 0.5.0.x patch. Here’s the series so far, from Obsidian’s Steam announcements:
| Version | Date (UTC) | Days since previous patch |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5.0 Into the Abyss | Aug 11 | – |
| 0.5.0.1 | Aug 11 | 0 |
| 0.5.0.2 | Aug 12 | 1 |
| 0.5.0.3 | Aug 13 | 1 |
| 0.5.0.4 | Aug 19 | 6 |
| 0.5.0.5 | Sep 2 | 14 |
| 0.5.1 | Sep 24 | 22 |
| 0.5.1.1 (hotfix) | Oct 1 | 7 |
After daily hotfixes in the first week, the gaps were 6, 14 and 22 days up to 0.5.1. Hotfix 0.5.1.1 followed 7 days later and fixed one multiplayer issue (see Co-op and crossplay fixes below). We didn’t find a public test announcement for 0.5.1 on Steam. The last update with the same kind of version number, 0.4.1 (Buggy Racing), had a public test first, 15 days before release. For every major update since launch and what Obsidian has said about the next one, see our Grounded 2 update schedule.
If you were working toward the Tier 4 Omni-Axe
The rules for this upgrade have changed twice in a month:
- 0.5.0.5 (Sep 2): a Toe Biter Scythe bug stopped working, so players were “required to fight the O.G.R.R. Toe Biter Leviathan as originally intended to upgrade to the Tier 4 Omni Axe”. Obsidian’s tip for players who didn’t get Infused Ooze from the fight was to “check the floor around the boss arena”.
- 0.5.1 (Sep 24): “Infused Ooze has been removed from the game, and the Tier 4 Omni-Axe recipe has been changed to reflect that.”
The notes don’t say what the new recipe needs, or whether the Leviathan fight still matters for it. Check the recipe at your workbench before you plan a boss run. If you were holding Infused Ooze, the notes don’t say what happens to it.
Fixes Obsidian has had to make twice
Comparing 0.5.1 with earlier notes, two items were marked as fixed before:
- Omni-Clipper friendly fire. 0.5.0.5 said “Players should no longer be able to damage other players with the Omni Clipper”. 0.5.1 lists it again: “Fixed an issue where the Omni-Clipper could be used to damage other Players.”
- Founder’s Pack skin after a refund. The Beat the Heat update (0.4.0, April 14) fixed the selected Founder’s Pack skin staying enabled “after disabling/refunding the DLC”. 0.5.1 fixes the same thing again, plus “some parts of the Founder’s Pack” staying active after a refund.
Neither note explains why the first fix didn’t hold. If you see either problem on 0.5.1, it’s worth reporting on Obsidian’s issue tracker.
Milk Molars and buggies
Milk Molar changes have come in stages:
- 0.4.0: Moldy Milk Molars were added. Obsidian described them as upgrades “tied to you as a player”, applied to any buggy you summon.
- 0.5.0: fixed there not being enough Milk Molars on the map to max out your stats.
- 0.5.1: adds “Molar Upgrades for Mega Milk Molars, Milk Molars, and Moldy Milk Molars” and expands the upgrade tiers you can reach with Milk Molars and Moldy Milk Molars.
Buggies also got a perception buff “so they can join fights easier with the Player/Teen”, and several buggy bugs are fixed: destroying a nest could permanently disable a buggy, the Toe Biter Buggy’s Sweep did no damage when the buggy used it on its own, and summoning restrictions “hindered gameplay”.
Co-op and crossplay fixes
- PS5 players can now see Steam players’ online status.
- On PS5, Shared Worlds are no longer reachable with crossplay turned off.
- Clients now see the laser orb from the laser cannon and the right creature health when it’s been modified, and MIX.R timed rounds in Playgrounds show the right times for clients.
- After 0.5.1: Hotfix 0.5.1.1 (Oct 1, 2026) has a single fix: “Fixed an issue where players on Steam could not connect to other players based on their Steam Download Region”.
Save fix worth knowing
On saves from earlier versions, the north Greenhouse Vent could be closed with no way to open it again. 0.5.1 fixes that, so load the save again before you restart a playthrough over it.
The full list has more than 50 entries. This page covers the ones that change how you play. For the rest, read Obsidian’s 0.5.1 notes.