You control a lone dwarf miner on the alien planet Hoxxes IV in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, a spin-off of Deep Rock Galactic and a top-down auto-shooter. Your weapons fire on their own, so your attention goes to moving, digging and staying out of the swarm. Before each run, you pick a class, a biome and a hazard level. Your class sets your starting weapons and bonuses, your biome sets the kind of cave you dig through, and the hazard level sets how hard the run will be.
Once you pick your setup, a Drop Pod drops you into a cave alone, and the Company gives you a mission such as clearing out enemies in an Elimination mission or keeping a drilling vehicle fueled in an Escort Duty mission. Enemies drop XP when they die, and each level-up lets you choose an upgrade, so your character gets stronger in the middle of the fight. Digging through rock turns up ore for upgrading your weapons, and clearing a path can help you escape a swarm that is closing in. When the objective is done, a Drop Pod comes down, and reaching it in time carries you on to the next, harder level of the dive.
Progress carries over between runs, and that is what you work toward. Meta Upgrades give permanent bonuses such as extra health, ammo or damage, and gear pieces dropped during missions add bonuses once you equip them between runs. Each biome has its own set of hazard levels, which open up as you complete goals inside that biome. Overclocks add another layer, changing how a weapon performs once you unlock them.
- Developer
- Funday Games
- Publisher
- Ghost Ship Publishing
- Release
- Android and iOS: 2025-11-12 · PlayStation 5 (US): 2026-10-07 · Steam Early Access (PC): 2024-02-14 · PC and Xbox Series X|S full release: 2025-09-17 · Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 (US): 2026-10-09
- Platforms
- Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, Android, iOS, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Game data
Biomes
Biomes in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor are different environments, each with its own terrain, hazards and goals. Every biome runs through five sectors for each mission type, and each sector sets a minimum hazard level and its own goals. Glacial Strata came with the Heavy Duty DLC, and the rest are part of the base game.
Collectibles
Weapons
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor weapons belong to classes, and most unlock as their class levels up, with a few open from the start. Each weapon picks its own targets and fires in its own way, from guns that go after the closest enemy to mines and turrets that stay put. Tags such as fire, acid, electric and drone decide which weapons class mods can bring in from other classes.
Class Mods
Class mods are specialties that each dwarf class can take in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, with three each for Scout, Gunner, Engineer, Driller and Demolisher. Each mod changes its class's base stats and the weapon families it can use, and each one opens at a set rank, either your player rank or that class's own rank. The Demolisher's mods also require the Heavy Duty expansion.
Artifacts
Artifacts are passive items that boost or change how your dwarf plays during a dive in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor. They come in Rare and Epic rarities, a few start unlocked and the rest are earned through milestones. Supply Pods during a dive offer three artifacts from your unlocked pool, so every unlock widens your choices.
DRG: Survivor gameplay tips
- Dig a single tunnel into a rock cluster instead of scattered holes. Most bugs can only follow existing tunnels, so the swarm has to come through one entrance instead of surrounding you from several sides.
- Check the timeline bar at the top of the screen. It shows how far you are through the level and roughly how close the swarms and bosses are, so you can move into position before a big wave arrives.
- Start heading for the Drop Pod as soon as the objective is done. Reaching it is hardest when you are surrounded, so getting there while the area is still clear keeps your exit open.
- Pick a class that fits how you like to play. The Driller focuses on mining, the Engineer uses drones, turrets and explosives, the Scout is fast and evasive, and the Gunner relies on heavy weapons and armor. Each class starts with different weapons and bonuses, so your choice shapes the whole run, and the Class Mods add a second layer on top.