Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor - Heavy Duty Expansion

Heavy Duty is the first gameplay expansion for Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor. So far, two cosmetic DLC packs have been released: the Supporter Pack and the After Hours Pack. This expansion introduces a new class — a first for the Ghost Ship Games' Deep Rock Galactic universe — as well as a new mission type, a new biome and new weapons.

At the heart of the expansion lies the Demolisher, a new class. Rather than running through the depths of Hoxxes, a dwarf sits in a small vehicle resembling a cross between a buggy and a bulldozer, called the Rockdozer. The vehicle can push aside small enemies with its front blade, but larger ones are beyond its capabilities. Although the vehicle is relatively fast, even when digging through rock, its turning radius is quite large and parking the Rockdozer precisely in the drop pod under pressure from the enemy isn’t easy. There are two control modes for the vehicle, but it takes some practice to master them.

The three base mods/playstyles are Contractor, Gridrunner and Operator. The Contractor starts with the new Dragonstorm Incinerator flamethrower, which fires backwards and sets the ground ablaze, making it perfect for luring enemies. The Gridrunner starts with increased potency and the new Twincoil Arcburster electrical weapon. The Operator starts with the new Slither Drones kinetic weapon and has access to all drones. The Demolisher is basically tailored for a faster, more aggressive playstyle. However, in terms of performance and effectiveness, the other four classes are still superior; the developers have already made adjustments with the first post-launch hotfix though. Nevertheless, he still feels somewhat more fragile than previous competitors, despite his playstyle being noticeably different. The Demolisher brings an arsenal of 11 new weapons to Hoxxes, which are available to other classes via the tag system.

The Egg Hunt main mission is new to the game, alongside Elimination and Escort Duty, as well as the familiar progression system. In this mission, miners must recover alien eggs. They must dig out the eggs and deliver them to the cargo pod with the help of Bosco. However, Bosco can only transport one egg at a time, so players must choose which eggs to dig up and deliver. Once the quota is met, players are given a short grace period in which they can either play it safe or collect extra eggs for bonus rewards. Then, on the lowest level, players will face a final stand against the Brood Nexus, a multi-stage boss fight.

The expansion introduces the Glacial Strata biome, which features slippery terrain and environmental hazards. While large frozen surfaces boost movement speed, they also reduce control, making sharp turns difficult. Fragile crystals are scattered across the landscape. Shattering them triggers a cascade of falling icicles from above. The local glyphids have adapted. Some now detonate with freezing blasts instead of fiery ones. With the addition of Glacial Strata to the biome pool, main missions now offer greater variety in biome goals without increasing the number required for progression. This gives players more options when choosing their progression path and the freedom to skip challenges they might be stuck on.

Launching alongside the expansion, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor received an update adding Endless Mode, which the community had been wishing for for a long time. Endless Mode (a variant of Elimination) takes player builds further than ever before, supported by expanded upgrade systems and improvements for experimental playstyles. The first ten stages of an Endless Dive are shorter and feature increased enemy density, enabling players to level up much faster than usual. Players can only carry up to 15 artefacts, so every choice matters. From stage eleven onwards, the challenge intensifies. The difficulty increases significantly. However, despite the upgrade to Unity 6, KD-tree-based physics improvements, XP cube performance optimisations, VFX system improvements, memory leak fixes and general stability improvements being implemented with the update, there are still performance issues in this mode, as well as in other modes. There is still room for improvement.

Since its Early Access debut, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor has continued to grow in popularity, with over two million copies sold to date. The game was developed by Funday Studios, an independent video game development studio founded in Aarhus, Denmark, in 2011. The studio currently employs over 40 people, who are also working on Northgard Battlegrounds, a strategic autobattler based on the IP of Shiro Games and published by Shiro Unlimited.

The publisher of Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor – Heavy Duty Expansion is Ghost Ship Games, a Danish game development studio that was founded in spring 2016. The studio's motto is simple: 'co-op first, focused on the core gamer'. Since 2021, Ghost Ship Games has been part of the Swedish video game developer and publisher Coffee Stain Group. Shares in Coffee Stain Group have been traded independently on the First North Premier – Nasdaq Stockholm since the company's split from Embracer Group in December 2025. In February 2023, Ghost Ship announced the launch of its Ghost Ship Publishing branch.

On 20 May 2026, Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core, a spin-off of Deep Rock Galactic, will be released in Early Access. This 1–4 player co-op FPS roguelite sees dwarven Reclaimers fighting their way through mining facilities infested with deadly Core Spawn. The main difference between Deep Rock Galactic and Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core lies in the roguelite game structure. In short, players start each mission with only the most basic equipment and collect random upgrades, gear and abilities along the way. The difficulty also increases drastically within a single mission. Furthermore, Ghost Ship Publishing is collaborating with Northplay on Dinolords, a game that combines real-time strategy, city-building, and action RPG combat - as well as dinosaurs of course. Meanwhile, Coffee Stain Publishing is preparing the release of the run-and-gun roguelite game Huntdown: Overtime, inspired by VHS-era blockbusters, on 07 May 2026 in Early Access.

Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor – Heavy Duty Expansion was released on 30 April 2026 for €9.99 on PC and Xbox Series X|S. Compared to the main game, which costs €12.99, the expansion seems relatively expensive.

Conclusion

Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor – Heavy Duty Expansion might be a little overpriced, but the Demolisher and its Rockdozer are great additions once the controls have been mastered. The new biome and Egg Hunt are also great additions, although work is still needed on performance and balance.

Features

• Demolisher, a new class with its own unique gameplay style
• Glacial Strata, a new biome; and Egg Hunt, a new main mission
• New weapons and synergies; Endless Mode as a free update