The original Deep Rock Galactic is a challenging multiplayer-focused first-person shooter, and a popular one at that. Following after a bullet hell spinoff, the next game in the Deep Rock series is Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core, a FPS roguelike that hews closer to the original game. Rogue Core is currently in the early access period on Steam, where it has just received a major update.
Update 3 Details:
- Who’s Gatekeeping Now? – Balgorath joins Rogue Core’s roster of bosses, bringing a new challenge for squads delving deeper into Hoxxes IV. Boss Risk Vectors can also shake up the final fight, letting players choose modifiers that alter boss behaviour or introduce new mechanics.
- More Ways to Build a Run – Enemies will now drop Expenite as standard, rewarding Reclaimers throughout combat as they work towards their next upgrade. Flux Quartz can now be spent at the new Refractor Terminal to reroll upgrades and Artifacts or boost health. The new Prowess Bio-Booster deck is available to all classes and focuses on grenade builds, while Bio-Booster decks can now be swapped earlier in a run.
- New Tools of the Trade – The Ventura brings a hard-hitting pump-action shotgun to the armoury, while the XQ-2 Quantum Warpfield gives squads a new way to move around the caves by placing two connected teleportation points. The Flare Gun has also moved out of the starting traversal-tool pool and into the opening room, where any Reclaimer willing to break the glass can claim it.
- Expect the Unexpected – Runs gain greater variety through new stage Alterations, additional elevator objectives, and Priority Missions. Reclaimers may need to recover missing Cogs or clear invasive Core Growths before extraction, while Priority Missions offer bonus Reclaimer Points for taking on highlighted objectives across the map.
- No Run Left Behind – A new crash recovery system gives remaining squad members the option to continue if the host disconnects or crashes, restarting the current stage rather than losing the run altogether.
- Something to Show For It – A new Trophy Screen gives Reclaimers another way to track their progress, while the Cosmetic Sheet has been redesigned to make unlocks clearer and easier to navigate. Any Scrip already spent through the previous Cosmetic Sheet will be refunded.
Check out the Update 3 Patch Notes for a full list of changes.
Steam reviews indicate that up until now, Rogue Core's reception has been mixed. This update brings a lot of improvements to the table, however, so it will be interesting to see if the winds change going forward. The winds are changing all over the place this week, after all! I'm certainly eager to give this one a try and see how well it captures that original Deep Rock Galactic magic.
Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core costs $29.99 on Steam. It supports 4-player online co-op, and currently has "Playable" status on Steam Deck.