Helldivers 2 Keyboard Not Working: IME and Input

Confirm that this is an input failure

Our September source review of Arrowhead’s known-issues page recorded a Chinese/Japanese Microsoft IME input conflict. On 13 October, the page showed a 12 October update and no longer listed IME. Its list is non-exhaustive: absence is not a confirmed fix. Keep the reversible comparison below for matching symptoms, not as a diagnosis of every stuck character.

Before changing Windows, record what still works:

Record whether the fault starts on launch, after diving, after opening chat or after an input-layout shortcut. A 2026 community thread described movement, weapon and item inputs failing after dives; verification and reinstalling did not help one participant, while some replies reported success after changing the Windows input method. Those replies support a diagnostic test, not removal of every non-English language.

Test an existing English layout without deleting languages

The relevant setting is the current Windows input method, not this site’s language, the game’s subtitles or your physical keyboard’s printed labels.

1. Before launching the game, select the input-language indicator in the Windows taskbar and note the active layout.
2. If Chinese Microsoft Pinyin, a Japanese Microsoft IME or another IME is active, select an already installed English keyboard layout. Microsoft also documents Windows key + Spacebar for cycling installed layouts.
3. Launch HELLDIVERS 2 and repeat the same action that triggered the failure, preferably in a safe, repeatable setting. Record whether controls work before and after a dive.
4. After the comparison, use the taskbar indicator to restore your preferred input layout.

Do not uninstall language packs for this test. If no English layout is installed, use Microsoft’s linked layout instructions to add one you actually want, then keep a note of what you added. Do not alter the Windows display language merely to test keyboard input.

Prevent accidental layout switching during play

Windows + Space changes layouts, and other configured shortcuts may do the same. If the fault appears after a particular key combination, check the taskbar indicator when it is safe to do so. Repeat once with the English layout explicitly selected before launch.

Do not disable accessibility, security or anti-cheat services, inject a DLL, or download an input “fix.” Do not repeatedly reinstall the game when the active-layout comparison changes the result: a reinstall does not control which Windows IME is active.

If the English-layout test works, describe it as a workaround for your observed case, not proof of today’s official bug status. Restore your preference after play and recheck official notes after updates.

If no Chinese or Japanese IME is active

Do not force the IME explanation. Confirm Steam and Windows have finished updates, then test whether the same keys work in a text editor and the game’s menus. Inspect the game’s bindings for the affected actions and photograph them before resetting anything. If you use keyboard software or a custom profile, save it and compare one standard profile; restore it if there is no change.

Separate a stuck animation or interaction from global input loss: note whether diving again, opening a menu or returning to the ship changes the state. These observations may help support, but are not guaranteed repairs. If only one save/session or one action triggers the problem, preserve that exact sequence.

Restore your preference and report the result

Return to your normal Windows input layout after the test. If English input prevents the failure, include both layout names, the reproduction steps and the result in an Arrowhead bug report. If it does not, say so; negative results prevent support from assuming the known IME issue matches your case.

Include Windows version, visible game version, keyboard connection, active layout, exact keys lost, what still worked, trigger and recovery conditions, and time with zone. Remove usernames and account details from screenshots. The IME attribution is historical; current keyboard failures need their own evidence.