Helldivers 2 How to Unlock Eco Suits — Exosuits, Mechs and the 2026 Lumberer

Exosuits — the game's walking mechs — unlock at Level 25 for 20,000 Requisition Slips each, and you call them in as a stratagem with only two uses per mission. The EXO-45 Patriot (minigun + rockets) and EXO-49 Emancipator (dual autocannons) are the classic pair, both earned in the Patriotic Administration Center's Robotics Workshop. In 2026 they were joined by the EXO-51 Lumberer and EXO-55 Breakthrough from the Exo Experts Warbond — the first mechs ever sold in a Warbond.

If you've been searching "how to unlock eco suits" or "how to unlock mechs in Helldivers 2," this is the complete answer: the exact unlock requirements, both call-in codes, how the ammo and durability systems work, and which mech is worth bringing in the current meta.

Official resources: Steam store page · Helldivers Wiki — EXO-45 Patriot Exosuit · IGN — How to Get a Mech · GamesRadar — How to unlock Exosuits

How to Unlock Exosuits (Both Classic Mechs)

The unlock path is identical for the Patriot and Emancipator, and it hasn't changed since 2024:

1. Reach Level 25. This is the hard gate — no bypass. Leveling comes fastest from missions on higher difficulties and Major Order completions; see our builds guide for efficient loadouts.
2. Save 20,000 Requisition Slips. The most expensive stratagems in the game. Requisition comes from mission completions (higher difficulty = bigger multiplier, up to 250% on Helldive).
3. Buy from the Ship Management console — Stratagems tab → Robotics Workshop section. The Patriot and Emancipator sit at the bottom.
4. Add it to your loadout before deploying. You can only bring one exosuit per mission, and it has two uses with a 600-second (10-minute) cooldown between call-ins.

The EXO-45 Patriot is the original mech, unlocked for everyone in March 2024 after the community liberated the exosuit factories on Tien Kwan. It carries a shoulder minigun (roughly 1,000 rounds) and a rocket pod (14 rockets), per PC Gamer's hands-on and the community's ammo tests.

The EXO-49 Emancipator arrived in May 2024 as the reward for liberating Valyria 5, then became a normal 20,000-Requisition purchase. It swaps the minigun for dual autocannons, 75 rounds per arm — same ammo class as the AC-8 support weapon, so it closes bug holes and cracks fabricators too.

Per the official Helldivers Wiki — EXO-45 Patriot Exosuit, the Patriot requires Level 25 and 20,000 Requisition Slips, has two uses per mission, a 600-second cooldown and cannot be resupplied once its ammunition is expended.

The 2026 Exosuits: Lumberer and Breakthrough (Exo Experts Warbond)

The Exo Experts Warbond (April 28, 2026, 1,000 Super Credits) added the first Warbond-exclusive mechs, and they're the current endgame answer to "which exosuit should I buy":

• EXO-51 Lumberer — an anti-tank cannon on the right arm and a flamethrower on the left. The cannon two-shots Bile Titans and Charger Behemoths, and the flamethrower handles the crowd. It's a modern reinvention of the Helldivers 1 Lumberer from the original game's Vehicles Pack.
• EXO-55 Breakthrough — a flak cannon paired with a huge ballistic shield. Built for pushing objectives and holding defensive positions rather than raw damage.

Two 2026 patches reshaped the mech meta around them. Machinery of Oppression 6.2.2 raised exosuit main health from 850 to 1,600 and arm health from 350 to 600, adding 50% explosive resistance to arms — a massive durability buff for all mechs. And if you drop on a DSS-occupied planet, exosuit cooldowns are reduced by 35%, which makes mechs dramatically more spammable during Galactic Campaigns. See our super credits guide for how to fund the Warbond without paying.

Official source: TweakTown — Exo Experts Warbond — "The Exo Experts warbond includes the EXO-55 Breakthrough, a shield-toting sci-fi phalanx shieldbearer, and the EXO-51 Lumberer with its anti-tank cannon and explosive flamethrower."

Exosuit Call-In Codes

Type these into the stratagem menu to drop your mech (delivered by a Pelican that also provides fire support while it lands):

To board, walk behind the mech and press the interact prompt. While inside you can't use stratagems, but you keep map access and your weapons are strong enough to hold a position solo.

Are Exosuits Actually Good? Pros and Cons

Hands-on verdicts from PC Gamer and the community are consistent: mechs dominate bugs, get shredded by bots, and are glass cannons everywhere.

• Strengths: massive firepower and armor vs chaff; you can squish small bugs by walking over them; the Emancipator closes bug holes; the melee stomp even opens Cargo Containers at points of interest. On Terminid planets at difficulty 5–6 the Patriot is "hilariously overpowered" (PC Gamer's words).
• Weaknesses: no ammo resupply — once the guns are empty, the mech is a walking paperweight; enemy rockets (Automaton Rocket Raiders/Devastators) and Bile Titan acid can scrap one fast; you can lose an arm (and its gun) to damage; and the 10-minute cooldown means a lost mech is gone for the rest of a tight mission.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you unlock exosuits in Helldivers 2?

Reach Level 25, save 20,000 Requisition Slips, and buy the EXO-45 Patriot or EXO-49 Emancipator from the Ship Management console's Robotics Workshop. The 2026 EXO-51 Lumberer and EXO-55 Breakthrough come from the Exo Experts Warbond (1,000 Super Credits).

Are exosuits worth using in Helldivers 2?

Yes, situationally — they're excellent against Terminids (especially on difficulty 5–6) and in DSS operations where the cooldown is reduced by 35%. They're fragile against Automaton rockets and Illuminate heavy fire, so bring them for bug and defensive missions, not bot pushes.

How many exosuits are in Helldivers 2?

Four by mid-2026: EXO-45 Patriot, EXO-49 Emancipator, EXO-51 Lumberer and EXO-55 Breakthrough. The first two are Requisition purchases; the last two are Exo Experts Warbond unlocks.

Can you resupply an exosuit's ammo?

No. Exosuit ammunition cannot be resupplied by any means — when the minigun, rockets or cannons run dry, the mech is finished for the mission. This is the single biggest reason to conserve ammo and deploy deliberately.

What is the best exosuit in Helldivers 2?

The EXO-51 Lumberer is the 2026 damage king (two-shot Bile Titans, flamethrower crowd control), while the EXO-55 Breakthrough is the defensive pick. If you're still on Requisition-only budget, the Emancipator is the better all-rounder thanks to its dual autocannons.

Related Guides

• Helldivers 2 Stratagems — Full List and Best Picks
• Helldivers 2 Best Weapons — 2026 Tier List
• Helldivers 2 Super Credits — How to Farm Fast
• Helldivers 2 Builds — Best Loadouts for Every Faction
• Helldivers 2 Enemies — Full List and Weak Points
• Is Helldivers 2 Crossplay? — Cross-Platform Guide

Last updated: August 13, 2026.