The garden is awake.
Ominent’s experiments have taken a sour turn, and a strange new corruption is spreading across Brookhollow Park. Tang now stains the soil, seeps into water, and clings to unsuspecting creatures—and it’s up to you to survive whatever’s brewing beneath the surface.
Welcome to The Toxic Tangle, the first major content update for Grounded 2, available now for all players. This update expands the park with a new biome, new creatures, armor and weapons, trinkets, building sets, and a few threats that may be more than they appear.
Overgrown vines choke the greenhouse, creating twisting paths and hidden crawlspaces. These massive monstrosities and staggering structures all combine to produce that 'how do I get up there?' moment. The Garden biome is ripe for exploration, stacked with vertical climbs, secret stashes, and probably a bug or two you didn’t see coming.
From the pumpkin patch to the carrot jungle, every corner offers something to harvest, hoard, or accidentally aggro. It’s big, it’s messy, and it’s absolutely crawling with trouble. Bring your best gear—and maybe a backup plan.
One of Grounded’s most iconic bugs is finally rideable—and she’s not here to play nice.
The Ladybug Buggy is a heavy-duty, tank-style mount equipped with a pressurized water cannon. Use it to blast airborne pests out of the sky, rinse away sour Tang buildup, or just give your enemies a bad day. It can also ram headfirst into foes with a powerful charge and slowly regenerates health over time.
If you ever jumped on a ladybug in the first Grounded and wished you could stay there, this one’s for you.
The Garden is full of life, but not all of it wants to share the space.
New creatures like the coordinated Earwigs, the bulky Potato Beetles, and the soon-to-be fan-favorite, the Woolly Aphid, will challenge your reflexes, your timing, and your trust in anything with antennae.
You might also want to keep your eyes open. The Masked Stranger may have retreated after your first encounter, but she’s not gone—and she may not be alone.
Oh, and the Snake Colossus? You’ll know it when you see it. Probably right before it sees you.
Mutations have leveled up. They’re now split into active and passive types—actives still work the way you know and love, but passives now apply automatically based on your weapon loadout. That means less menu juggling and more time doing cool stuff, like perfect blocking a Tang-covered Rust Beetle or showing off your hybrid build mid-fight.
And for all the architects, decorators, and “I-just-need-one-more-wall-piece” players out there, this update’s for you. The builder toolkit gets a serious upgrade with new kits like the Pumpkin Set, a refreshed Mushroom Kit, Scale Roof Set, updated Acorn Stairs, and a community request for floor hatches. It's all about more pieces, better parity between sets, and smoother snapping to bring your backyard blueprints to life.
Whether you're crafting a greenhouse hideout, a pumpkin fortress, or a garden party palace, we can't wait to see what you build—and share. Tag us, drop it in Discord, or show it off wherever you hang out. We’ll be watching (with admiration, not binoculars).
The Garden MIX.R and O.R.C. wave challenges are also live, ready for anyone who thinks they're tough enough to survive the swarm.
Lastly, the Founder’s Pack also grows with this update, adding new base-building items like the High Roller’s Dice Bag, Champion’s Banner, and more ways to personalize your park adventure.
Alongside this update, we’re preparing for the return of Playgrounds Mode, entering PTB (Public Test Beta) in February with all the core tools from the first Grounded. Whether you're building mini-games, boss arenas, or custom gauntlets, Playgrounds will give creators the tools they need to thrive. To keep an eye on what’s coming to Brookhollow Park, be sure to check out our updated roadmap for a sneak peek at what’s in store for Grounded 2.
There’s never been a better time to shrink down, suit up, and explore the weirdest corners of Brookhollow Park. The Toxic Tangle update for Grounded 2 is available now!
Eliminate your opponent with its anti-air cannon and be sure to clean the sky from any foes you meet along the way. With it, clean the Tang buildup you come across or decrease the Tang building on other friendlies....or enemies. Be sure to refill your reservoir at water sources around the park to never run out of ammo.
It's the most tanky and robust buggy yet, capable of healing itself and it has a slight resistance to the new tang effect spread across the Garden. Even with a cannon strapped to it's back that isn't its only mean of attack as the ladybug can unleash a powerful ramming maneuver that will knock your opponent out.
Ominent's latest experiments with sour resources have unsurprisingly... gone out of control, and now the garden is tainted with sour spills and caustic lakes.
The Masked Stranger may have withdrawn from your first conflict with her; however she is far from defeated. Be on your toes as you could expect to see her again in the Garden and she may not be alone.
The unstoppable slithering serpent slinks savagely throughout the Croquet Court near the outside wall of the Garden. Prepare to meet our largest colossus yet!
Now an easy way to heal your buggy!
Mutations are now split between active and passive. Active mutations will work like normal and still need to be equipped and swapped based on your situation. Passive mutations currently work with your weapon set and will be applied automatically when you switch equipment. There will be more passive mutations coming throughout development.
New Landmarks
Anthills
Labs
Ranger outposts
Gloom Shroom
Cactus Flower
Fertilizer
Keylime
Pumpkin
Potato
Carrot
Corn Dog
Pretzel
Chrysalis Hide
Returning resources: Lint, Gunpowder Clump, Wood Splinter, Rust, Pinecone Piece, Spiky Bur, Sturdy Marble and Quartzite
Cricket
Pincher Earwig
Whipper Earwig
Woolly Aphid
Rust Beetle
Potato Beetle
Wasp
Wasp Drone
Cricket Cap
Cricket Vest
Cricket Shin Guards
Earwig Kasa
Earwig Cuirass
Earwig Greaves
Serpent Hood
Serpent Mail
Serpent Boots
Rusty Boots
Rusty Robes
Rusty Circlet
Potato Beetle Helmet
Potato Beetle Chestplate
Potato Beetle Shin Guards
Wasp Greaves
Wasp Breastplate
Wasp Helm
Cricket Lute Bow
Earwig Sword
Caustic Ruin
Sour Banger
Sour Katanga
Hearty Arrow
Great Mint Arrow
Great Spicy Arrow
Great Venom Arrow
Boom Stick (unique weapon)
Discord (unique weapon)
Crimson Reapers (unique weapon)
Wither Sting (unique weapon)
Pincer Pincher Trinket
Fabulous Femur Trinket
High Roller's Dice Bag
Champion's Brazier
Champion's Banner
Adventurer's Table
Throne of P'wn
Minotaur Mount
Ponic Patch
Ladybug Nest
Floor hatches
Snake roof Kit
Pumpkin Kit
Mushroom Kit (reskin)
Thatch Awning Kit
Acorn Stairs Kit update
Hauling Hero (returning)
Bardic Inspiration (revamp)
Sour Sensation (revamp)
Whittle Wizard (revamp)
Artbook has been updated with new Toxic Tangle content
New main menu art has been added
Fabulous Femur:
Trigger chance reduced from 20% -> 7%
Crit buff reduced from 50% -> 25%
Buff duration reduced from 5 -> 3 seconds
Pinchwhacker
Base Damage reduced from 33 -> 30
Stun was reduced from 7 → 6
Volatile Capacitor Shock Damage reduced from 15 → 10
Shellshocker Shield Shock Damage reduced from 45 -> 30.
Firefly
Black Soldier Ant
Black Worker Ant
Firefly Head Lamp
Black Ant Legplates
Black Ant Arm Guards
Black Ant Helmet
Black Ant Shield
Black Ant Sword
Rusty Spear
Glue masher, (updated & new recipes)
Made sure the order of items and bestiary were consistent
Updated the pebblet path and curved pebblet path cost to 3 pebblets
Create more space between players and their buggies for a more fluid experience
Added coordinates in the map menu
Upgraded weapons now keep their hotpouch assignment
Jerky rack and roasting spit interfaces updated and now allow for proximity chests
Unique weapons can now be crafted via the workbench
Glowsticks glow brighter and longer
Drawn arrows can be cancelled
Chocolate smoochies (returning)
Smoochies Chunks (returning)
Valentine’s Fortune (returning)
Cupid’s arrow (returning)
Great Cupid’s arrow (new)
Seasonal decorations can remain in your base past their respective holiday months without resulting in a crash.
Corrected the player’s jump speed and distance while jumping (from a sprint) on player-built structures.
Fixed various Out of the World gaps in the terrain.
Any fix that changes the “Map” in any way has a chance to move geometry (your base) as an after result.
Milkweed pods in front of the Snackbar no longer fall through the terrain.
Corrected an issue that allowed Dandelion Tufts to be triggered while standing on a surface’s edge.
The Hauling Hero mutation only works while on foot (not available while riding buggies).
Fixed a bug where the camera lens could not be repositioned when in freecam mode.
Fixed an issue where players would not have control of their character for a few seconds after loading their game.
Agatha Brief’s press badge no longer appears with a distorted holographic texture.
SFX from the Fireworks Launcher can now be heard from farther distances.
Adjusted the placement of some early-game resources to ensure players can easily reach them.
Fixed an issue where a client could take over the host’s buggy if players both whistled at the same time.
Corrected an issue that could result in players instantly dying when knocked off their Orb Weaver Buggy.
Using the Omni-Tool to chop down resources while standing on a player-built structure is easier / requires less specific positioning.
Creatures move more intuitively around fallen crow feathers.
Weapons thrown at AXL no longer fall through the terrain after inflicting damage.
Mosquitoes no longer fall asleep while midair.
Corrected an issue where the player inflicted more damage via status effects on higher difficulties.
SFX associated with the Masked Stranger’s calls will no longer persist in the pause menu (if the player pauses the game mid-call).
O.R.C. creatures no longer appear without wearing their O.R.C. receivers.
Corrected an issue that would automatically repair damaged gear after loading a save file while playing on Mild difficulty.
Resource Finder tooltips now change the buttons or keys displayed if the player swaps between keyboard and controller while it’s on‑screen.
Staff attacks no longer home in on creatures that are actively underground.
When the game auto-saves while the player is midair, the save file will now accurately list the player’s location.
Splatburst explosions have an area of effect more accurate to their final location (before exploding) when thrown in interiors.
Fixed an issue where the player wasn’t able to unlock Gold Cards while on a buggy.
Sturdy Marble and Spicy Candy no longer overlap each other in anthills.
Corrected an issue where a player’s buggy could remain infinitely downed (without actually being knocked out) when certain save/load conditions were met.
Players should no longer load into the world before their location is fully loaded.
Included slime as a listed resource the Snail can drop in its creature card description.
The Snail should no longer stretch and warp in surreal and horrific ways when observed from a far distance.
Fixed an issue where the Wolf Spider and Praying Mantis Nymph would not respawn in the Pine Hill region.
Corrected an issue where the Loot Luck: Caterpillar and Loot Luck: Garden Snail buffs did not specifically boost item drop rates for those creatures.
Opening a treasure chest with a full inventory will no longer cause the loot inside the chest to disappear.
Fixed an issue where gnats could fall through the terrain if killed above specific puddles.
Attacking sacks of accumulated resources will not cause them to disappear.
Spears thrown at a downward angle in first-person view now follow a trajectory more accurate to the reticle.
Mosquitoes are more accurate when using their 3‑hit combo.
If attacked by a player standing on their back, ladybugs will prioritize bucking the attacking player off.
Fixed an issue where building UI elements would get unintentionally discolored during Masked Stranger calls.
Fixed an issue where the player was able to throw certain items through walls (often resulting in them becoming inaccessible).
Savvy players can no longer avoid triggering O.R.C. waves by refusing to build spike traps; the O.R.C. waves will now find an opportune time to strike.
Crow Feather Pieces burst out of chopped crow feathers in a less violent and more easily collected way.
Resolved an issue where the Grass Side Table would disappear when updating to the Winter Update.
Addressed a problem where the Sour Seed would disappear for clients.
Corrected an issue where the Sour Seed would vanish after a Save/Load.
Resolved an issue where the scanner that starts the fight with the Mysterious Stranger would not appear after a Save/Load.
Fixed an issue where the player could not easily obtain an unassigned buggy in the nest.
Adjusted Handy Gnat movement so it properly maps to player movement controls.
Cleaned up various art placeholders still left in the PTB build.
Cleaned up miscellaneous placeholder strings around the PTB.
Addressed multiple issues preventing players from placing blueprints or building.
Corrected an issue where rotten potatoes required two Sour Bombs to explode.
Addressed an issue where Raw Science was not spawning on saves made in 0.2.2.5.
Resolved a problem where the ORC raid notification prevented the player from sleeping.
Eliminated a crash caused by PEEP.R tracking more than one item; PEEP.RR was moved back to 4 on all platforms.
Corrected an issue where the SCAB.2k Scanner was visible to clients in multiplayer, allowing the multiplayer team to trigger the Mysterious Stranger fight early.
Fixed a situation where Passive Mutations became stuck and could not be unequipped, including cases where they remained equipped across multiple loadouts.
Prevented the Sour Seed from being lost after saving and loading.
Restored ability to use Large Pallets.
Adjusted armor upgrade behavior so Bulky and Sleek paths no longer shared identical stats during path switching.
Updated Sour Staff behavior so projectiles matched intended length and reliably connected with targets.
Ensured that recipes unlocked properly when analyzing the correct resources.
Addressed a crash that occurred when Alt‑tabbing on PC.
Resolved a foliage‑related crash that could occur under certain conditions.
If you’ve lost the Sour Seed, it will respawn after you’ve slept.
Bur Weed now respawns properly for players.
Scorpion animation optimizations.
Players should now no longer get thrown out of the world when getting off and on your buggies.
Fixed a crash relating to the BUILD.M menu.