The developer identifies CHOPPER as the axe-wielding enemy
Hotfix 0.05.006 explicitly names CHOPPER and describes it as the enemy with axes. That current developer wording is the identity source for this page. Historical demo notes also mention Chopper behavior, but the live Early Access hotfix is the correct starting point for current guidance.
An official name does not create a full stat sheet. The note gives behavior changes and one fixed duration. It does not state health, attack damage, reach, movement speed, detection rules, spawn conditions, or rewards. The page stays centered on what changed and how to communicate the visible window.
CHOPPER should no longer stick to dead players
The hotfix says CHOPPER will no longer get stuck on dead players. That resolves a specific pathing or targeting failure described by the developer. A squad should not plan around the old bug as a way to hold the enemy in place. Current movement should be judged from the live route and the patched behavior.
The fix also changes how old videos should be read. Footage from 0.05.005 or the demo can document history, but it cannot prove that CHOPPER will repeat the same failure now. When a new problem appears, record the current version, player state, and room context before calling it a return of the same bug.
A kill triggers a ten-second shutdown
After killing a player, CHOPPER shuts down for ten seconds according to 0.05.006. The duration is exact because the developer published it. The trigger is also narrow: the statement follows a kill. It does not say a knockdown, missed attack, stagger, decoy, or environmental collision creates the same window.
Use the visible shutdown for a short, declared objective. The group might regroup, restore spacing, update the retreat, or perform a safe interaction that the current room allows. The ten seconds do not guarantee a revive, free damage, a route past other enemies, or enough time for every action. Choose one priority before the window begins.
Pathfinding was improved in the same hotfix
Improved pathfinding means earlier assumptions about corners, corpses, and routes may no longer hold. The developer does not publish the new navigation model or a list of affected spaces. A route that worked once can also change through procedural layout, doors, players, and other physical objects.
Keep movement calls factual: current position, direction, obstruction, and retreat. Avoid a promised kite route or a guaranteed safe object. If CHOPPER takes an unexpected path, respond to what is visible rather than waiting for an old pattern. That makes the plan useful even when another hotfix adjusts navigation again.
The 0.05.005 concern is historical, not current status
Patch 0.05.005 said the team was considering changes because CHOPPER was difficult and had behavior concerns. Hotfix 0.05.006 arrived later and announces direct behavior fixes. The known-issues page therefore places CHOPPER under fixed in 0.05.006 instead of repeating the older line as an unresolved official item.
That does not mean every player will find CHOPPER easy or that no future issue can exist. Difficulty opinions and new reports need their own labels. The current official facts are the dead-player fix, improved pathfinding, and ten-second shutdown. Anything beyond those points requires fresh evidence.
A bounded field plan for the current build
Before contact, agree on a retreat direction and keep the group from crowding one obstruction. If CHOPPER kills a player and the shutdown is visible, call the start of the window and choose one action. When movement resumes, assume the improved pathfinding can invalidate an old route. This plan follows the hotfix without inventing a counter.
After the run, record only what the group saw and the installed version. Separate the ten-second official rule from interpretations about why a route worked. Check the patch ledger before sharing advice. A newer update may supersede this field card, while 0.05.006 remains available as the historical source for the behavior described here.