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DRG Rogue Core Bio-Boosters and Artifacts Guide 2026
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Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core
This DRG Rogue Core Bio-Boosters and Artifacts guide exists because the game throws three different upgrade systems at you and never clearly separates them. Bio-Boosters, Artifacts, and permanent Reclaimer Enhancements all feel similar at a glance, but they work completely differently, and mixing them up costs you real time figuring out why an upgrade you picked last run isn't there anymore.
TL;DR: Bio-Boosters are per-run temporary upgrades gained by hacking terminals scattered around the map. Artifacts are a rarer, per-run tier above Legendary, unlocked by picking the Artifact Risk Vector, killing the Sentinel Specter it spawns, and depositing the resulting Spectercore into the R.E.P.D. Neither carries over between runs. Permanent progression instead comes from Reclaimer Enhancements, bought with Merits at the Enhancement Terminal, 8 slots per Reclaimer.
DRG Rogue Core Bio-Boosters guide: what actually matters (quick answer)
Bio-Boosters and Artifacts are both temporary, per-run upgrade systems in DRG Rogue Core, not permanent progression. Bio-Boosters come from hacking terminals found while exploring; Artifacts come from a specific Risk Vector choice that gates a rare, high-power upgrade tier above Legendary.
Key takeaways
- Bio-Boosters are hacked from terminals found on the map, granting a choice of usually 2 upgrades tied to your class or loadout.
- Bio-Boosters and Artifacts are per-run only. They reset at mission end and don't persist.
- Artifacts sit in their own rarity tier above Legendary: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Artifact.
- Unlocking an Artifact requires picking the Artifact Risk Vector, killing the Sentinel Specter it spawns, and depositing the Spectercore it drops into the R.E.P.D.
- Permanent progression is a separate system: Reclaimer Enhancements, bought with Merits at the Enhancement Terminal, 8 slots per Reclaimer.
- Community counts put roughly 49 Bio-Boosters across 13 Decks and 25 Artifacts, though both numbers trace to a single unofficial tracker and aren't independently confirmed.
Overview
This guide covers DRG Rogue Core (Steam appid 2605790, Ghost Ship Games) as it stands in the current Early Access build, priced at $29.99. What follows covers how Bio-Boosters and Artifacts actually work, how Artifacts get unlocked specifically, and how both differ from the game's real permanent-progression system. It doesn't cover a full itemized list of every Bio-Booster or Artifact, since the exact roster is still being tracked by the community and this site isn't going to publish an unverified full list as if it were confirmed.
How Bio-Boosters work
Bio-Boosters come from terminals you find scattered across a mission map. Reaching one and successfully hacking it through a short minigame grants you a choice, usually between 2 options, of upgrades tied to your current class or loadout.
The critical detail: Bio-Boosters are strictly per-run. They're active only until you extract or die, and none of it persists into your next mission. Treat them as a tool for surviving the run you're currently on, not an investment in your account's long-term power.
Bio-Booster terminals are scattered through map environments like this one, tucked among the mining structures rather than marked with obvious signage.
They're organized into 13 different Decks, with a community-tracked total around 49 individual Bio-Boosters. That count comes from a single unofficial wiki rather than an official source, so treat it as a reasonable estimate rather than a confirmed figure. One specifically documented example, the "Momentum" Bio-Booster, cancels a reload if triggered within 0.5 seconds of the reload starting and wasn't manually initiated, a recent patch tightened that window, so if you're relying on an older description of it, expect it to feel less generous now.
How Artifacts work and how to unlock one
Artifacts are a separate, rarer tier of upgrade. The game's full rarity ladder runs Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and then Artifact as its own distinct step above Legendary, not a variant of it.
Getting one requires a specific sequence, not just luck:
- Pick the Artifact Risk Vector after finishing a level.
- This spawns a Sentinel Specter enemy.
- Kill it, and it drops a Spectercore.
- Deposit the Spectercore into the R.E.P.D., which triggers an Upgrade Selection Event.
- Each teammate (not Cooper, the AI companion in solo play) picks one Artifact from that event.
One Artifact worth knowing by name: Glass Cannon grants +150% Damage at the cost of -75% Health Multiplier, a genuinely risky pick rather than a safe upgrade (per the official wiki's current Upgrades page). Community tracking puts the total roster around 25 Artifacts, with the same single-source caveat as the Bio-Booster count above; the official wiki's own current Artifacts listing puts it closer to 23, so treat either number as approximate until the game leaves Early Access. Note: an older Artifact called Combat-Ready (Stoneskin plus a multi-stat buff on wave spawn) was removed from the pool during Rogue Core: Update 1 and is no longer obtainable.
GODEEPER: Artifacts and Bio-Boosters both feed into how a single run plays out, but which Reclaimer you're running changes how much you can actually lean into a risky pick like Glass Cannon. DRG Rogue Core Classes: All 5 Reclaimers Explained 2026 →
What's actually permanent: Reclaimer Enhancements
Neither Bio-Boosters nor Artifacts persist between runs, which raises the obvious question: what does? The answer is Reclaimer Enhancements, unlocked using Merits at the Enhancement Terminal. Each Reclaimer has 8 enhancement slots, and this is the system actually building your account's long-term power over multiple runs.
Don't conflate the three systems. Bio-Boosters and Artifacts shape a single run's power curve; Reclaimer Enhancements shape what you're capable of before that run even starts.
Both Bio-Boosters and Artifacts exist to help you survive moments like this mid-run, not to build long-term account progression.
Tips
Don't chase Artifacts at the expense of finishing a level safely
Since the Artifact Risk Vector requires surviving a Sentinel Specter fight and completing the R.E.P.D. deposit step, weigh whether your current run can actually afford that detour before committing to it.
Read Bio-Booster tooltips against your current build, not in isolation
A Bio-Booster that's excellent on one class or loadout can be marginal on another. The 2-option choice format means you're always trading against something, so read both options relative to what you're already running.
Treat Glass Cannon and similar high-risk Artifacts as build-defining, not automatic picks
A -75% Health Multiplier cost changes how you play a run entirely. Don't take it just because +150% Damage sounds appealing in isolation.
Prioritize Enhancement Terminal spending over chasing a single strong run
Since Bio-Boosters and Artifacts reset every mission, your actual long-term investment should go toward Merits and Reclaimer Enhancements, not toward optimizing around a single lucky Bio-Booster roll.
Common mistakes
- Assuming Bio-Boosters or Artifacts carry over between runs. Both reset completely at mission end.
- Confusing Artifact rarity with a Legendary variant. It's its own tier above Legendary, not a re-skinned version of it.
- Skipping the full Artifact unlock chain. Picking the Risk Vector alone doesn't grant an Artifact; you still need to kill the Specter and deposit the Spectercore.
- Treating community-tracked counts (49 Bio-Boosters, 25 Artifacts) as officially confirmed. Both trace back to a single unofficial source and should be read as estimates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Bio-Boosters in DRG Rogue Core? Per-run, temporary upgrades gained by hacking terminals scattered across the map. They reset at the end of a mission and don't carry over, unlike permanent Reclaimer Enhancements.
How do you unlock Artifacts in DRG Rogue Core? Pick the Artifact Risk Vector after a level. It spawns a Sentinel Specter enemy; killing it drops a Spectercore, which you deposit into the R.E.P.D. to trigger an Upgrade Selection Event where each teammate picks one Artifact.
Are Artifacts the same rarity as Legendary upgrades? No. The full rarity ladder is Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and Artifact, with Artifact sitting above Legendary as its own distinct tier.
Do Bio-Boosters and Artifacts carry over between runs? No, both reset each mission. Permanent progression in DRG Rogue Core comes from a separate system, Reclaimer Enhancements, unlocked with Merits at the Enhancement Terminal.
What does the Glass Cannon Artifact do? It grants +150% Damage in exchange for a -75% Health Multiplier, a genuine high-risk, high-reward pick rather than a strict upgrade.
How many Bio-Boosters and Artifacts exist in the game? Community trackers put it around 49 Bio-Boosters across 13 Decks and 25 Artifacts, though those counts come from a single unofficial source and haven't been independently cross-verified, so treat them as approximate.
Related Reading
- DRG Rogue Core Team Compositions: Best Co-op Squads 2026: DRG Rogue Core team compositions: which Reclaimers to bring, how pick order affects Enhancement pools,
- DRG Rogue Core Upgrade Guide: Expenite, Tiers, Best Picks: how Expenite and upgrade tiers fit alongside Bio-Boosters and Artifacts in a single run.
- DRG Rogue Core Gatekeeper Bosses: All 3 Explained 2026: the boss fights where a strong Bio-Booster or Artifact roll actually matters most.
References
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