Description
Echelon keeps every Helldivers 2 mod you download in one library, lets you sort them into profiles (think loadouts for your mods) and puts a whole profile into the game with one click. When you want a clean game again, one more click takes every mod back out.
It comes in two looks, and both have every feature:
Echelon is free, and every feature is for everyone. Nothing is locked.
Installation
Checking your download: open a command prompt in the folder with the installer and run (with the name of the file you downloaded)
The result should match the number in the .sha256 file.
Main features
Requirements
FAQ
Reloaded or Lite: which should I pick?
Whichever you like looking at. Both have every feature, and only the look is different. Lite is the lighter one if your PC is older or you just want a quiet tool. You can switch anytime in Settings > Display > Look; Echelon restarts into the other one.
Can I bring my mods over from HD2 Arsenal?
Yes. The first-time setup offers to import your mods, profiles, mod order, separators, tags and option choices. To do it later, click the + button above the profile list and choose Import from Arsenal.... If Echelon can't find Arsenal's data (for example after you moved it), it lets you pick Arsenal's hd2a_data.json file yourself. Nothing in Arsenal is changed.
Can I go back to Arsenal, or use both?
Yes. Both put mods in the same game folder, so use one at a time: click Purge in the one you're leaving, then deploy from the other. When Echelon deploys, it clears every mod from the game folder first, so it never stacks on top of what another manager put there. The other manager may still show its mods as deployed until you purge there.
Can I download mods straight into Echelon?
Almost. Copy a mod's page link and press Ctrl+V in Echelon (or use Add > From a link). Echelon opens the page in your browser. Download the file there as usual, and Echelon picks it up from your Downloads folder and adds it, asking first when it can't tell which mod the file is. It also remembers the mod's web page. Direct links from Google Drive, Dropbox, GitHub and Discord are downloaded straight in.
Can it check for mod updates?
Yes, for mods from Nexus. Add your own Nexus Mods API key in Settings > Connections > Nexus Mods, then press Check for updates on the Library page. Mods with a newer file get an UPDATE badge, and right-click > Update from Nexus... swaps it in. Premium accounts download it in one click; free accounts get the file's Nexus page and Echelon takes the download when it arrives. For other sites, right-click > Open web page takes you to the mod's page, and when you add the new download Echelon offers to replace the old one, keeping its place, tags and option choices.
Does it go online?
Only if you turn it on. The update check for Echelon itself, translating mod descriptions, share codes and the Nexus key are all off until you choose them. Settings > Connections lists everything Echelon can talk to, and Work offline stops all of it. No accounts, no tracking, no ads.
What does Echelon do about mods with Lua scripts?
It tells you. Mods that contain Lua get a LUA badge and a notice when you add them. Some Lua mods change the game for everyone in the lobby, so you can mark those as solo only and Echelon reminds you before you deploy them. What you install is your choice: Echelon doesn't judge or block mods, and nothing about your mods is sent anywhere.
Why can't I move HD2 SmoothBoot below the Bingus loader?
It's already where it needs to be. Echelon keeps the Bingus loader at the winning end of your list, with HD2 SmoothBoot, HD2Runtime and HD2R Editor locked right next to it (Settings > Mods & game > Loader lock). That gives the same result as placing them "below Bingus" in other managers, so you don't need to move them. To bring scattered Bingus mods together, right-click the Bingus section and choose Gather Bingus mods here.
The text is hard to read. Can I make it bigger?
Yes: Settings > Display > Text size, from 80% to 150%. Application zoom just below it makes everything bigger.
How do I see mod descriptions in my language?
Settings > General: pick your language under Interface language, then switch on Translate mod text into my language. It uses the free MyMemory service, so it stays off until you turn it on.
How do I put a mod into another profile?
Inside a profile, click the ⋮ on a mod and choose Copy to profiles.... It works with several mods selected (Ctrl+A selects them all). When you add new mods, Echelon asks which profiles they go into; if it doesn't, tick Ask which profiles when adding mods at the top of the Library page.
Does it work on Linux?
There's no native Linux version yet, but the Windows version runs through Proton: open protontricks, pick Helldivers 2, choose "run arbitrary executable" and run the Echelon installer, then start Echelon from its install folder inside the game's prefix. To open .7z and .rar mods, put the Windows 7-Zip files (7z.exe and 7z.dll) in Echelon's folder; the Linux 7-Zip can't be used from inside the prefix. Always start Echelon the same way (for example from the same Steam shortcut), because each Proton prefix keeps its own copy of your library. If you use the Linux version of HD2 Arsenal, Echelon looks for its data by itself when you import. This is community-tested, not official.
My antivirus flagged it.
Some antivirus programs flag apps built with Python by mistake, and it can happen again with a new version. Check the installer against its .sha256 file, and post in the discussion thread with the antivirus name so it can be reported as a false positive.
Will it mess up my mods or my game?
Echelon never edits your mod files in place. It keeps its own copy of each mod. Deploy only touches mod files in the game's data folder, and Purge takes them all out again.
Something went wrong. How do I report it?
Post in this page's discussion thread or on the Echelon Discord, and attach your latest log from %APPDATA%\Echelon\logs. Settings > Mods & game > Folders shows the exact path and opens it.
Credits
Links
Echelon is an unofficial fan-made tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Arrowhead Game Studios or Sony Interactive Entertainment. Using it means accepting its end-user licence agreement, shown during setup. Echelon is free and always will be. If you'd like to say thanks: ko-fi.com/avaleine
Echelon keeps every Helldivers 2 mod you download in one library, lets you sort them into profiles (think loadouts for your mods) and puts a whole profile into the game with one click. When you want a clean game again, one more click takes every mod back out.
It comes in two looks, and both have every feature:
- Reloaded: the full Echelon terminal, animated, with a story to find. Every effect can be tuned or switched off in Settings > Motion Lab.
- Lite: a plain, calm mod manager with no effects or story. Lighter on older PCs and easier on the eyes.
Echelon is free, and every feature is for everyone. Nothing is locked.
Installation
- Download Echelon-Setup.exe and run it. It installs for your user only, so no admin rights are needed.
- The installer is code-signed. Windows may still say "Windows protected your PC" for a while, because the signature is new. Click More info, then Run anyway.
- The first-time setup asks which look you want, finds your game folder, asks you to accept the licence, and asks which online extras you want (all of them start off).
- Coming from HD2 Arsenal? Setup offers to bring over your mods, profiles, mod order, separators, tags and option choices. Arsenal's own files aren't changed. Coming from HD2MM? Click the + above the profile list and choose Import from HD2MM....
Checking your download: open a command prompt in the folder with the installer and run (with the name of the file you downloaded)
Code:
certutil -hashfile Echelon-Setup-0.39.0.exe SHA256Main features
- Library: every mod as a picture card or in a list with columns, with a details panel showing its description, options, size, which profiles use it, and its web page.
- Profiles: mod order, separators, tags and per-mod options. Switch between loadouts in a second.
- One-click Deploy and Purge: Deploy puts exactly the open profile into the game. Purge takes every mod out, including ones installed by hand or by other tools.
- Mod options: pick versions, colours and extras. Mods that ship their variants as folders get proper options too, and all-in-one packs get a switch per part.
- Mod updates from Nexus: add your own Nexus Mods API key in Settings > Connections, and Check for updates on the Library page shows which mods have newer files. Update from Nexus... swaps the new file in and keeps its place, switches, tags and option choices. Nothing downloads unless you press it.
- Bingus Shared Loader support: Echelon recognises the loader and the mods that need it, warns when a profile is missing it, and keeps the loader locked in the right spot so Bingus mods start.
- Works with MDL: MDL (Mod Dynamic Loader) Pro by M!ni$try0fSc!ence reads Echelon's library, so its in-game menu shows your Echelon mods and lets you switch Lua mods on and off while the game runs.
- Clash checks: see when two mods change the same thing, which one wins (lower in your list wins), and which mods are completely hidden by others.
- Game Folder Check: tells you if a game update or Steam's "Verify integrity" removed your mods.
- Crash Finder: when the game crashes with mods on, it tests half of your mods at a time until it finds the one to blame, and ends on a verdict card you can screenshot for support.
- Import from HD2 Arsenal and HD2MM: bring your mods, profiles and choices over. If a mod came as several versions without a manifest, Arsenal kept only the one picked back then; Echelon lists those mods under Check options so you can get the full download and choose again.
- Share profiles as a short code (EC-XXXX-XXXX) or a link. Friends see exactly which mods they're missing.
- Solo-only mods: some Lua mods change the game for everyone in the lobby. Mark them as solo only and they get a SOLO badge, plus a reminder to turn them off before public lobbies when you deploy.
- Backup: Settings > Mods & game > Backup saves your settings, profiles, library and mod files in one .zip.
- HellForge drawer: if you use SkyeShade's HellForge, Echelon opens it in a drawer of its own: send your mods or a whole loadout to it, check it's set up, start it, and save its logs for support. HellForge is SkyeShade's own project; for HellForge questions, the HellForge help link in the drawer opens their Discord.
- Developer Suite for mod authors:
- Mod Builder: build a mod with options and a manifest without writing any JSON, with a "What players see" preview.
- Repatcher: keeps your own model and text mods working after a game update. Mods that need it get a NEEDS REPATCH badge.
- Mod Inspector: see what's inside your mod, check it for common problems, and compare versions.
- Partner tools: starts HD2 Retagger by soulls00 for moving an armor look onto other armors. You get it from soulls00; Echelon only starts it.
- Languages: English, Simplified Chinese and Japanese.
Requirements
- Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit).
- Helldivers 2. Echelon finds the game folder automatically, or asks you to point to it.
- No other mods or tools needed, and no account: Echelon has no sign-in of any kind.
FAQ
Reloaded or Lite: which should I pick?
Whichever you like looking at. Both have every feature, and only the look is different. Lite is the lighter one if your PC is older or you just want a quiet tool. You can switch anytime in Settings > Display > Look; Echelon restarts into the other one.
Can I bring my mods over from HD2 Arsenal?
Yes. The first-time setup offers to import your mods, profiles, mod order, separators, tags and option choices. To do it later, click the + button above the profile list and choose Import from Arsenal.... If Echelon can't find Arsenal's data (for example after you moved it), it lets you pick Arsenal's hd2a_data.json file yourself. Nothing in Arsenal is changed.
Can I go back to Arsenal, or use both?
Yes. Both put mods in the same game folder, so use one at a time: click Purge in the one you're leaving, then deploy from the other. When Echelon deploys, it clears every mod from the game folder first, so it never stacks on top of what another manager put there. The other manager may still show its mods as deployed until you purge there.
Can I download mods straight into Echelon?
Almost. Copy a mod's page link and press Ctrl+V in Echelon (or use Add > From a link). Echelon opens the page in your browser. Download the file there as usual, and Echelon picks it up from your Downloads folder and adds it, asking first when it can't tell which mod the file is. It also remembers the mod's web page. Direct links from Google Drive, Dropbox, GitHub and Discord are downloaded straight in.
Can it check for mod updates?
Yes, for mods from Nexus. Add your own Nexus Mods API key in Settings > Connections > Nexus Mods, then press Check for updates on the Library page. Mods with a newer file get an UPDATE badge, and right-click > Update from Nexus... swaps it in. Premium accounts download it in one click; free accounts get the file's Nexus page and Echelon takes the download when it arrives. For other sites, right-click > Open web page takes you to the mod's page, and when you add the new download Echelon offers to replace the old one, keeping its place, tags and option choices.
Does it go online?
Only if you turn it on. The update check for Echelon itself, translating mod descriptions, share codes and the Nexus key are all off until you choose them. Settings > Connections lists everything Echelon can talk to, and Work offline stops all of it. No accounts, no tracking, no ads.
What does Echelon do about mods with Lua scripts?
It tells you. Mods that contain Lua get a LUA badge and a notice when you add them. Some Lua mods change the game for everyone in the lobby, so you can mark those as solo only and Echelon reminds you before you deploy them. What you install is your choice: Echelon doesn't judge or block mods, and nothing about your mods is sent anywhere.
Why can't I move HD2 SmoothBoot below the Bingus loader?
It's already where it needs to be. Echelon keeps the Bingus loader at the winning end of your list, with HD2 SmoothBoot, HD2Runtime and HD2R Editor locked right next to it (Settings > Mods & game > Loader lock). That gives the same result as placing them "below Bingus" in other managers, so you don't need to move them. To bring scattered Bingus mods together, right-click the Bingus section and choose Gather Bingus mods here.
The text is hard to read. Can I make it bigger?
Yes: Settings > Display > Text size, from 80% to 150%. Application zoom just below it makes everything bigger.
How do I see mod descriptions in my language?
Settings > General: pick your language under Interface language, then switch on Translate mod text into my language. It uses the free MyMemory service, so it stays off until you turn it on.
How do I put a mod into another profile?
Inside a profile, click the ⋮ on a mod and choose Copy to profiles.... It works with several mods selected (Ctrl+A selects them all). When you add new mods, Echelon asks which profiles they go into; if it doesn't, tick Ask which profiles when adding mods at the top of the Library page.
Does it work on Linux?
There's no native Linux version yet, but the Windows version runs through Proton: open protontricks, pick Helldivers 2, choose "run arbitrary executable" and run the Echelon installer, then start Echelon from its install folder inside the game's prefix. To open .7z and .rar mods, put the Windows 7-Zip files (7z.exe and 7z.dll) in Echelon's folder; the Linux 7-Zip can't be used from inside the prefix. Always start Echelon the same way (for example from the same Steam shortcut), because each Proton prefix keeps its own copy of your library. If you use the Linux version of HD2 Arsenal, Echelon looks for its data by itself when you import. This is community-tested, not official.
My antivirus flagged it.
Some antivirus programs flag apps built with Python by mistake, and it can happen again with a new version. Check the installer against its .sha256 file, and post in the discussion thread with the antivirus name so it can be reported as a false positive.
Will it mess up my mods or my game?
Echelon never edits your mod files in place. It keeps its own copy of each mod. Deploy only touches mod files in the game's data folder, and Purge takes them all out again.
Something went wrong. How do I report it?
Post in this page's discussion thread or on the Echelon Discord, and attach your latest log from %APPDATA%\Echelon\logs. Settings > Mods & game > Folders shows the exact path and opens it.
Credits
- RaidingForPants: Echelon's Repatcher is based on hd2-repatcher (MIT licence).
- eigeen: the Repatcher follows rules from hd2-mod-crates (MIT licence).
- xypwn: the text-file reader follows the format as read by filediver (BSD licence).
- SkyeShade: HellForge and HD2Runtime.
- cowboybingus, for the Bingus Shared Loader that so many mods build on.
- M!ni$try0fSc!ence: MDL.
- soulls00: HD2 Retagger, which Partner tools opens.
- HD2 Arsenal inspired parts of Echelon's early layout, so modders moving over could find their way around. Design ideas only: no code from it is in Echelon.
- The Dolldivers community, for testing, ideas and patience. Everyone else is listed in Settings > About > Credits.
- Built with Qt / PySide6 (LGPL-3.0). Full licence texts ship with the app under Settings > About > Licences.
- Developed with the help of AI (Claude).
Links
- GitHub: release notes and older versions
- Echelon Discord: news, help, bug reports and share codes
Echelon is an unofficial fan-made tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Arrowhead Game Studios or Sony Interactive Entertainment. Using it means accepting its end-user licence agreement, shown during setup. Echelon is free and always will be. If you'd like to say thanks: ko-fi.com/avaleine
