Now that Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core is out in Early Access, what has surprised you most about how players are approaching its roguelite structure?

One of the biggest surprises after launch has been how many people came in wanting and expecting Rogue Core to play exactly like Deep Rock Galactic. This wasn’t a sentiment we saw so much during the Closed Alpha, so it really did come as a jolt when we launched. Since then, it’s been a big challenge for us to see how we can meet those players where they’re at, while not compromising on our own vision and wish for the game. Update 1 was part of that process, but we’ll get more into that down below.

We were also surprised to see how many people didn’t want to play with the timer, or found the presence of a timer too oppressive. When we ran the Closed Alpha, we saw enough discussions that we knew it would be a divisive game mechanic, same as the shared upgrade negotiations. But we decided to go with it anyway, because we saw that most of the problems felt like theorized problems, rather than actual frustrations people experienced for themselves during gameplay. We knew these features wouldn’t be for everyone, but that’s part of making a new game. We’ve just got to try our best to find the right balance.

"One of the biggest surprises after launch has been how many people came in wanting and expecting Rogue Core to play exactly like Deep Rock Galactic. "

Rogue Core is a very different kind of game from Deep Rock Galactic. How has that changed the way you think about future content, updates, and balancing?

In terms of content and updates, we’ve never been long-term planners. We develop this on a rolling basis, based off what we think is most exciting, important and interesting, and of course what we’re hearing from our players. We probably won’t do a ‘seasons’ model like with Deep Rock Galactic, as I think it’s more realistic for us to deliver smaller updates on reasonable intervals.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Rogue Core is in Early Access, while DRG is a fully released game that’s been getting more content updates for over half a decade. With DRG, our choice to do seasons only came after our 1.0 launch, once we saw how people played and responded to it. Back when DRG was in Early Access, its update pacing was pretty similar to where Rogue Core is now.

As far as balancing goes, our intent is to always have Rogue Core be a more challenging, intense experience compared to Deep Rock Galactic. So any future balances (as well as future content and updates) will be committed to that, to help support this faster-paced game experience. We think that’s a key part of maintaining Rogue Core’s own identity as a standalone title.

How does Rogue Core fit into the broader narrative and setting of the Deep Rock Galactic universe?

Rogue Core takes place at the same time as the events of Deep Rock Galactic. The DRG Corporation has dug deeper into Hoxxes in pursuit of the newly-discovered wunder-mineral Expenite — and these new excavations seem to have triggered some planetary calamity. There’s been a massive energy wave, akin to an enormous EMP blast, that has shut down all these Expenite facilities and cut them off from the outside world. In other words, the core of the planet has… gone rogue. And the Company can’t meet quotas if these mines are offline, so we need to take them back.

In Rogue Core, you play as the Reclaimers, who are a sort of in-house paramilitary security force employed by Deep Rock Galactic. They’ve got their own traditions and culture, separate from the mining crews of DRG, and of course they’ve got access to a fancier range of tech and gadgetry. But they’re still dwarves, so at the end of the day you’re still Rocking and Stoning, honoring Karl, and returning home for three dozen beers after a mission.

The Reclaimers already offer a range of different playstyles. Based on early feedback, what kinds of future additions to the roster are you most interested in exploring?

I don’t think we’re ready to share anything on this right now! We’ve got ideas, but nothing that’s taken shape to the point where we’d want to tease it. Sorry.

"In Rogue Core, you play as the Reclaimers, who are a sort of in-house paramilitary security force employed by Deep Rock Galactic."

Has working on Rogue Core given you any new ideas for mechanics, systems, or content that could eventually influence Deep Rock Galactic itself?

We get asked this a lot. A big reason we chose to develop Rogue Core as a standalone title is because it gave us the creative freedom to explore new game mechanics and systems that weren’t constrained by the frameworks we’d set up with DRG. Porting all sorts of stuff from Rogue Core into DRG is a fun idea in theory, but in practice, we feel that it’d just end up diluting both games’ identities. We don’t wanna end up in a place where we’ve got a standalone game that doesn’t feel different from the title it came from.

We’d rather see Deep Rock Galactic get more original content that’s exclusive to that game, its world, and its mechanics and systems. Realistically, any influence from Rogue Core on DRG would likely be more on the level of QoL features or easter eggs.

What has early player feedback focused on the most so far, and has any of it already changed your priorities for future updates?

Early in June we released our big Update 1, which was in large part a response to the early player feedback we got right after launch. We changed up our whole Early Access roadmap so we could prioritize fixes and additions that addressed what players were asking for.

We focused on fixing frustrations, which were centered on the “big three” of the shared upgrades process, the mission timer, and ammo shortages. We locked in these past couple of weeks to come up with some ways to address these issues, and then get it all implemented. These features are pretty central to our vision of the game, so we didn’t want to scrap them entirely — but I think we found ways to adjust them that keep the benefits of these mechanics, while also tightening them up and accommodating different preferences for how to play the game.

It’s been really awesome to see the feedback on Update 1 so far, especially regarding these issues. People seem very happy, and our impression is that we’ve pretty successfully fixed the major sources of negative feedback, while still staying true to what we want Rogue Core to be. I think we’ve struck a happy medium here.

On top of those feedback points, Update 1 also introduced a ton of new stuff, which I’ll get into right down below. I think the game’s already much stronger than it was just a few weeks ago, which is a great feeling. Player feedback helped us figure out what needed fixing the most, and what new stuff we could add that would be most fun and most engaging. I think we’re on the right track here, and I’m already excited for the next big update.

"It’s been really awesome to see the feedback on Update 1 so far, especially regarding [timer] issues."

With Early Access potentially lasting a long time, how much larger do you expect Rogue Core to become by the time it reaches 1.0?

We’ve got a really big to-do list on the road to 1.0. More enemies, more side objectives during missions, new bosses, more weapons and weapon upgrades, more player upgrades, more variety in cave biomes and the cave generation system, more cosmetics, more options for timing and difficulty, stuff like that. We’ll also be working to polish and develop the Gauntlet challenge mode, which is Rogue Core’s answer to Deep Dives. It’s currently in the game as a very rough draft, but we intend to sharpen that experience up a lot too.

It’s probably easiest to direct you to our Early Access Road Map for more details. This isn’t the exclusive or exhaustive list of stuff we’ll do before 1.0, but it’s a good place to start.

The run timer has been one of Rogue Core’s more distinctive systems. What are some ways you are exploring to let players influence, extend, or push back against that timer?

With Update 1 we introduced a new mechanic called ‘Assault Pace,’ which essentially allows you to choose the tempo of your mission. You select your pace on the same screen you choose a mission. It’s got three paces: Cautious (which is a slower, more forgiving tempo), Standard (which is the current, unaltered pace) and Reckless (which is even faster and more high-pressure). Mission rewards are adjusted accordingly to your selected tempo too.

Later down the line, there’s a possibility that we explore other mechanics related to the timer, like a “time extension” side objective or something. Who knows. We’re not looking at it right now, though. We’ll wait to see what players think of this new Assault Pace mechanic, and work on other stuff in the meantime.

Are you looking at adding more layers of meta progression over time, and how careful do you have to be to keep progression meaningful without weakening the roguelite tension?

Yes. The systems in place now are what we think is the bare minimum needed, and we’ll add more as the game evolves. Part of Update 1 was polishing up the existing metaprogression system, like making it easier to stack and swap out the Enhancement Chips you can use to boost your starting stats. We’ll see what future additions to this system look like — as you say, we don’t want the meta progression to make the roguelike aspect redundant.

"I don’t expect there would be any major changes between a console and PC version."

Since Rogue Core is currently focused on Steam Early Access, what are your current priorities for PC optimization, performance, and Steam Deck compatibility?

Optimization is an ongoing process for us. We’re always open for new ways to make what we’ve got run better — and often, new content means new challenges for optimization. Steam Deck compatibility is also on the to-do list, but it’s hard to say exactly when or how that’ll take shape.

Deep Rock Galactic has a strong console audience. How are you thinking about a potential console version of Rogue Core down the line, and what would need to happen before that becomes a focus?

We’d like it to happen at some point, but we can’t commit to it right this minute. Our full focus is on getting the game to a great place for the 1.0 version, and taking on a console port project would divert a ton of resources away from that goal. Having done it before, we’re more aware of just how much technical nitpicking and certification processes are involved — it can be a demanding and tedious process. So it’s something that we’ll first have the bandwidth for once Rogue Core hits 1.0.

If Rogue Core eventually comes to consoles, would you want the experience to be fully in line with the PC version, or are there platform-specific changes you would consider?

I don’t expect there would be any major changes between a console and PC version. With Deep Rock Galactic we try to keep the game experience the same across platforms, so nobody feels like they’re missing out. Early Access and modding are the two big exceptions here, as these are a lot trickier to do on consoles. But if Rogue Core ever came to console we’d likely follow the same playbook as with DRG, which is to say same updates, same features and mechanics, same events, all that.

But wait: it isn’t like the base game, insists the developer, despite featuring so many of the same weapons, tools and even some similar enemy types. That said, any fan of the original will tell you it’s about more than the sheer array of available content or the twerking Dwarves. Tweak a handful of factors, and you change the vibe into something else entirely (and potentially less agreeable).

The premise involves Hoxxes, a planet laden with precious Expenite that’s suddenly gone dark. After several failed attempts to take back its core, DRG decides to send in the Reclaimers, a crack squad of operatives who succeed at any cost. Or, as is usually the case, die, die, and die again until the enemy buckles under the attrition (or dies of boredom).

"When you’re playing solo, it even throws in some upgrades for ELIS, your little floating droid companion that provides cover fire. But in co-op, the game will randomly assign the pick order. This is where the rogue-lite structure meets co-op in annoying ways."

You have five classes to choose from, from the Falconeer, who can deploy a drone that automatically seeks out enemies and creates a barrier granting electric damage to those within, to the Slicer, who focuses on melee damage with his Plasma Blade while dashing around. Then you have wildcards like the Retcon, who can be kind and rewind to negate incoming damage (and then convert it to Rage to hit twice as hard for a period of time).

But aside from their kits and unlockable enhancements, which serve as equippable modules, like more health, increased carrying capacity, and so on, they don’t have weapons or ability upgrades to start with. Instead, you need to unlock supply caches before each run, selecting from one of three available choices, or hunt down Bio Boosters and choose one of two ability modifiers. Workbenches require locating toolkits and then selecting one of two upgrades for a weapon, equipping something else entirely – either as a backup or replacement – or further enhancing your own ability. Improving your Clearance Level will unlock additional stations for grenades and other tools.

Further to the procedurally generated levels – they’re less like the sandboxes of the base game, offering more structure and notable points of interest. Can you mine and drill in any direction? Sure, but the rallying cry of rock and stone is often more focused. Some liberal note-taking from its predecessor results in side objectives like scanning a dig site for nodes, then digging through every surface to find and deposit the ores. The Pickaxe is also essential for mining Expenite, which can be deposited into the REPD to unlock character upgrades, from flaming steps to more armor and improved ability recharge depending on damage dealt.

When you’re playing solo, it even throws in some upgrades for ELIS, your little floating droid companion that provides cover fire. But in co-op, the game will randomly assign the pick order. This is where the rogue-lite structure meets co-op in annoying ways. Any general upgrade could work for the Falconeer – play as the Slicer, however, and seeing teammates take any of the melee-focused perks can be a downer. Sure, you can tell them what you’d prefer, but that doesn’t mean they have to listen to you.

"You won’t truly know a rogue-lite without spending enough time with it – like a mineshaft, ironically enough – but just after a few hours, it’s clear that Ghost Ship Games has to dig deeper."

Furthermore, everyone needs to be present within the little circle around the REPD to receive their upgrade. What if they split up, covering more ground because that’s the most optimal strategy to net all the different upgrades (and one of the pitfalls of solo play)? Or if someone just spawned in? Have fun waiting for them, or drop whatever you’re doing and meet them en route to summon the REPD. You can – and most likely will – just keep depositing Expenite until you’re all forced together, likely at the next lift to receive your upgrades. While I appreciate how this creates friction, it’s already annoying enough when it comes to build-crafting. I don’t need the added element of trying to herd my team together.

“Well, it’s a co-op game, so what do you expect?” Remember how I mentioned that everyone splitting up is the most optimal strategy? That’s because there’s a timer. Think Risk of Rain-style, where the level becomes more challenging in terms of enemy spawns as you go along. Hit the red, and it’s a never-ending onslaught with only so much healing and armor to go around. On the one hand, I kind of like this because it encourages actually understanding the map and marking things for your teammates rather than mucking around; mastering the traversal tools and knowing whether that Expenite on the ceiling is worth the trouble.

However, it’s certainly more stressful, especially if you’re used to exploring at your own pace, Deep Rock Galactic veteran or not. The increased difficulty floor also makes solo play much more difficult because you’re forced to make tougher choices about what to prioritize (or, at the very least, dying repeatedly until you master the overall flow).

Each run comprises different floors, and you can choose a modifier for the next, either making the Corehead Creepers deal tons of melee damage in exchange for different rewards. You can spawn tons more Barnacle-like enemies that can ensnare and damage you unless rescued by a friend. Keeping all this in mind before eventually going toe-to-toe with the boss is also important, since dealing with tougher Creepers or faster tanks is hardly ideal. At least the timer resets on each floor.

You won’t truly know a rogue-lite without spending enough time with it – like a mineshaft, ironically enough – but just after a few hours, it’s clear that Ghost Ship Games has to dig deeper. The ability to equip any weapon and not be restricted by class is nice, and there are some pretty cool elemental synergies. But it currently feels like a solid foundation more than anything else.

"As it stands, you’re either going to like Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core because of its tension or ultimately reject it for the same reason."

Despite these complaints, especially when solo, I had fun with Rogue Core. When things really hit the fan, whether you’re trying to take down a boss or proceed to the next level, it can make for some hectic battles, especially as foes crawl on walls, leap from afar and throw increasing amounts of firepower at you. The responsiveness of each weapon is also on point, be it a satisfying headshot with the Bulldog Revolver or the satisfying ping of a Garand Sniper, especially when executing charged shots.

For a game preoccupied with subterranean breach and clearing, each biome feels distinct enough in its aesthetics and hazards to feel notable, especially when dealing with more complex jobs, which can have glowing crystals that emanate damage, or nodes that explode when shot. Each run also feels distinct enough between the experimental Expenite creatures that can explode and dot entire surfaces with the material, or the hostile Surveyor Drones, which provide data for a worthwhile node when shot down.

Granted, it doesn’t take long for the same set of staircases and corridors to become familiar, but it’s a small thing in the grand scheme of the level design. And of course, performance is on point while ensuring that the voxel-like composition of biomes looks as endearing as ever.

As it stands, you’re either going to like Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core because of its tension or ultimately reject it for the same reason. The rogue-lite elements, REPD upgrade nags, timer, and whatnot can all be adjusted accordingly as early access proceeds, and there’s a pretty hefty amount of content to be had. But unless you’re on board with the core gameplay, it may be hard to really embrace. If nothing else, you have to credit Ghost Ship Games for attempting something new – even if its biggest hit is most notable for the exact opposite gameplay flow. Here’s hoping it can hone a strong identity for Rogue Core throughout early access because while “rogue-lite DRG” sounds intriguing, the execution may leave some wanting.

This game was reviewed on PC.

A new narrative trailer for the game, delivered as a sort of PSA to all you miners out there, details how all mining facilities have suddenly gone dark in the wake of attacks by the Corespawn, an alien race that’s definitely hostile to your presence. You’re going to take on the role of a Reclaimer, a specialized unit that doesn’t flinch at entering mining facilities with just armor and a pickaxe, using their prodigious skill to gather potent weapons along the way.

The Reclaimers can also work with Exponite, a valuable power source to upgrade your gear in the field. Every Reclaimer has been encouraged to make the most out of Exponite they find. You’re going to need it all as you search for the elevator on each floor of hostile facilities, making your way to the Rift at the deepest levels of each one to rid the region of the Corespawn once and for all.

Overall, this looks like a roguelite spin on a popular franchise that’s sure to appeal to fans and newcomers alike when it enters early access on May 20th for PC. Rock and stone until then.

Year-over-year sales continue to rise, with 2,567,251 units sold in 2023. The average Steam player has spent 46 hours and one minute on the title, while 800,715 players have clocked over 100 hours. Daily active users hit 150,300, up from 113,700 in 2022, while monthly active users hit 1,018,230. As for in-game stats, fall damage is the biggest player killer, followed by the Glyphid Grunt and friendly fire.

Aside from supporting Deep Rock Galactic, Ghost Ship Games is publishing two new titles in the franchise. Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is a survival title similar to Vampire Survivors, while Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core is a roguelite co-op shooter. The former enters early access in Q1 2024, while the latter has yet to be dated.

Much like Deep Rock Galactic, Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core will be a co-op first-person shooter. However, in stark difference to its predecessor, Rogue Core will feature a roguelike game structure. Players will start out missions with only a few pieces of equipment, and progressing through runs will allow them to get new upgrades, equipment and abilities.

The Steam store page for Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core is live right now, offering a little more detail about the game aside from the teaser. Among other things, the store page features a “living roadmap”, which indicates that the game will be getting a closed alpha launch in Q1 2024, while the Early Access release for the title will happen in November 2024.

While Ghost Ship Publishing hasn’t made any official announcements for its future releases, the company has stated that it is currently working with a number of studios on releasing a slate of games over the year.

According to a statement by CEO Soren Lundgaard, becoming a publisher was the next step in the studio’s evolution, and it is a way for the studio to give back to the gaming industry. The publisher hopes to help developers across the globe, and especially the Danish gaming scene.

For its releases as a publisher, Ghost Ship Publishing will use the design of Deep Rock Galactic as the blueprint to help publish games. The publisher hopes to help studios in establishing a solid business, as well as helping them with funding and marketing expertise.

“Becoming a publisher is a way for us to give a bit back to the industry, and to help lift up both the Danish gaming scene and other small developers like ourselves across the globe,” said Ghost Ship Games CEO Soren Lundgaard. “Our goal is to assist fellow developers with funding and marketing expertise, while also helping them establish a solid business. Founding a publishing brand is a passion project for us, and we are very excited to make this a reality.”

“Starting a publishing company is a natural next step for Ghost Ship,” added Ghost Ship Games CCO Mikkel Martin Pedersen. “We love games and the success of Deep Rock Galactic has now enabled us to help other developers create theirs. We can’t wait to get started.”

Ghost Ship Publishing will announce the first games released under its new label on March 2 as part of the fifth anniversary stream for Deep Rock Galactic.

As part of the celebration, Deep Rock Galactic will be getting a new Year 5 Anniversary event, which includes Space Rig decorations as rewards, and more botched Longbeard Freight deliveries. More details are set to be revealed closer to the start of the event, which is slated for March 2, until March 16.

The game is also getting a playable version of the original early access release of Deep Rock Galactic from five years ago for players who might be feeling nostalgic about the original 2018 release.

And finally, Deep Rock Galactic is getting a new Support 2 Upgrade DLC, set for release on March 2. The DLC will feature cosmetic items, including a new set of weapon frameworks, as well as paintjobs and VIP treatment at the in-game Abyss Bar, complete with an exclusive beer available for the whole team.

Deep Rock Galactic is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

In terms of user engagement on Steam, the average user spent 42 hours and 45 minutes playing the game. Players have collectively logged 25,691 years since launch in 2018, with 506,929 players racking up over 100 hours. When Deep Rock Galactic was available with PlayStation Plus in January 2022, 9.5 million players claimed it.

Over 750,000 players also joined through Xbox last year (though how many were through Game Pass is unknown). Other interesting stats include fall damage being the number one cause of death, followed by Glyphid Grunts and friendly fire.

Deep Rock Galactic is currently in the middle of Season 3, which added a chance for Meteor Showers to occur during missions. Seasons last about six months, so Season 4 should land in April. Stay tuned in the meantime.

Previously available for PC and Xbox platforms, Deep Rock Galactic is a co-op first person shooter that sees space Dwarves venturing to hostile planets and excavating materials. Areas are procedurally generated and rife with deadly monsters, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. PlayStation players will have access to the full game along with Season 1 and its free Battle Pass (Season 2 arrives in March/April 2022).

DiRT 5 is Codemasters’ most recent entry in the franchise and features 10 locations from around the world with more than 70 routes, numerous vehicle types and four-player split-screen support. Persona 5 Strikers is a spin-off of Atlus’s acclaimed RPG with the Phantom Thieves venturing to and liberating mysterious Jails in Japan. It offers action RPG-esque, Musou elements but is still a compelling story.

Check out Deep Rock Galactic’s PS4/PS5 launch trailer below to see the game in action.

In an announcement post on Steam, the developer has revealed the release window for the next Season to be March or April of 2022. In addition to this, Ghost Ship Games has also confirmed that the upcoming Season will be less ambitious than the first, and as such will have a rapid development cycle as opposed to the 7-month long development cycle of Season 1. That said, you can still expect it to be pretty packed.

“We expect Season 02 to go live sometime between March and April 2022 – first on Steam, and then a few weeks later for both Xbox and PlayStation,” the developer wrote. “Season 01 exceeded all our expectations and catapulted the player numbers into space. But it was also a very big update, taking almost 7 months to produce and prepare. Season 02 will be a bit less ambitious and will come out faster. Not to say, that won’t still be an impressive update with all the bells and whistles, of course!”

Deep Rock Galactic has sold over 3 million units, and is available to download right now on PC and Xbox platforms. The game will be coming to PlayStation platforms as well in January 2022, although it will not have cross-platform play support at launch.