DRG Rogue Core Early Access: What Update 01 Changed

DRG Rogue Core early access launched on May 20, 2026, and the first 48 hours were rough: server outages, a difficulty curve that caught veteran DRG players off guard, and a Steam review dip that Ghost Ship publicly called a "rollercoaster launch." Seven weeks later, Update 01 has shipped, two new weapons are in the pool, the difficulty system got a complete overhaul, and the question isn't "is it broken" anymore. It's "what's actually here."

TL;DR: DRG Rogue Core early access has 5 Reclaimer classes, 100+ upgrades, 3 enemy factions, and a new Assault Pace difficulty selector added in Update 01. Overall reviews sit at 70% Mostly Positive (6,950 total); recent reviews are Mixed at 65%, driven partly by the rocky launch and lingering frustration with the EA price. The core co-op roguelite loop is solid. Ghost Ship has committed to an 18-24 month EA window.

DRG Rogue Core early access: what's in the game right now (quick answer)

The current build includes everything from the May 20 launch plus Update 01 (June 17). The full list: five Reclaimer classes (Slicer, Falconer, Guardian, Spotter, and Retcon), a 100+ upgrade pool spread across six tiers, three enemy factions (Corespawn, Rafkan, and Shatterclaw), and a fourth enemy type (the Voidkin Drifter) added in Update 01. There are also two new weapons from that same update, a new airborne boss biome, and a reworked difficulty system.

What isn't here yet: Ghost Ship hasn't disclosed a final floor count, and the community-measured 8-10 floors per run is expected to expand. Enemy variety beyond four types, a deeper meta-progression system, and additional classes are all confirmed for later patches with no specific dates.

Key takeaways

• Five Reclaimers playable now: Slicer, Falconer, Guardian, Spotter, Retcon
• 100+ upgrades across 6 tiers; 14 new Expenite upgrades added in Update 01
• Three launch enemy factions plus Voidkin Drifter added in Update 01
• Assault Pace selector replaces a single difficulty curve: Cautious, Standard, Reckless
• "Skip for Health" option removed; health upgrades now appear in normal rotation
• Co-op fix: any Reclaimer can initiate R.E.P.D. without squad grouping first
• Overall 70% Mostly Positive (6,950 reviews); recent 65% Mixed (1,349 reviews)
• $29.99 EA price, 18-24 month timeline to 1.0

What Update 01 actually changed

Update 01 is the most significant quality-of-life pass the game has received, and the specifics matter more than the patch summary suggests.

Assault Pace is the biggest change. Before Update 01, there was one difficulty curve and no control over time pressure. Now you choose one of three paces from the Mission Map before a run: Cautious (reduced time pressure), Standard (the original launch experience), and Reckless (higher time pressure with increased mission XP rewards). Ghost Ship rebalanced base XP rewards around this choice, and added unique OpsCom terminal tasks for each pace. This isn't just a difficulty slider. Each pace has its own task set, which means Reckless runs reward more XP but also demand you engage with pace-specific objectives to get the full benefit.

The upgrade rework removed the "Skip for Health" option, which was the game's most-discussed mechanic in early reviews. Before Update 01, players could skip their upgrade pick in exchange for a health refill. The option felt mandatory in harder runs, which made upgrade decisions feel less like choices. Ghost Ship removed it entirely and instead baked health upgrades into the normal upgrade rotation alongside everything else. All upgrades offered within a single draft now share the same rarity tier, which changes how you evaluate a pick: you're comparing items of equivalent rarity, not trading off a suboptimal rare against a free health top-up. They also added 14 new Expenite upgrades alongside a balance pass on several weapons.

Combat in the current EA build: Corespawn and Rafkan enemies mix together on higher floors. The Voidkin Drifter, added in Update 01, is airborne and only stops moving to charge its Void Bolt attack.

The Voidkin Drifter is Update 01's new enemy, and it's a different problem type than the existing factions. The three launch factions (Corespawn, Rafkan, Shatterclaw) are ground-based. The Drifter is constantly airborne and stays in motion until it locks into a charge stance for its Void Bolt attack. That charge window is the only reliable shot window. It appears across existing faction encounters rather than as a dedicated fourth faction, which means mid-run, you might be managing a Rafkan wave plus a Drifter overhead simultaneously.

Co-op quality of life: the R.E.P.D. upgrade system previously required your full squad to gather at the terminal before any player could initiate it. Update 01 removed that requirement. Any Reclaimer can start the R.E.P.D. now, and the link establishes with all four players regardless of their position on the floor. Small change, genuinely noticeable in longer sessions.

GODEEPER: Each of the five Reclaimers plays differently, with distinct upgrade interactions and co-op roles. The full breakdown is in the DRG Rogue Core Class Guide: All 5 Reclaimers Explained.

Current reception: why recent reviews are Mixed

The 70% overall rating (Mostly Positive) and the 65% recent rating (Mixed) are different numbers for different reasons.

The overall score includes the launch-day enthusiasm, before server outages and difficulty spikes had time to filter into reviews. The recent score is the more relevant signal: it's players who bought in after the launch hype settled, or who came back after Update 01 and are reassessing. Mixed at 65% is a meaningful warning but not a verdict. Slay the Spire launched Mixed. Hades II was Overwhelmingly Positive within days.

The recurring themes in recent reviews: the price point ($29.99 is at the high end for an EA roguelite compared to what players consider the genre baseline), the question of whether the current content is worth that price while the game is unfinished, and some frustration that Update 01's content additions felt modest in scope relative to the overall EA roadmap Ghost Ship published. None of these are complaints about the core loop not working.

What isn't showing up as frequently in negative reviews: the difficulty complaints that dominated the launch week. The Assault Pace selector and the upgrade rework absorbed most of that friction. The game plays better than it did at launch, and the reviews reflect that trajectory, if not fully yet.

What's still missing and what's confirmed

Ghost Ship published a formal roadmap on May 22 committing to 18-24 months of early access development. The roadmap names four categories of planned content without specific dates: more Reclaimer classes, more enemy factions, additional floors and biomes, and expanded meta-progression. No names or details beyond those category labels have been shared.

The meta-progression system that persists between runs is live but limited. What's in now tracks some account-level unlocks, but the full system Ghost Ship describes for 1.0 is significantly more developed. If you're expecting a progression layer comparable to what the original Deep Rock Galactic built over its two-year EA window, that depth isn't here yet.

Floor count is officially undisclosed, but community data puts it at 8-10 floors with a Boss floor terminal encounter. Ghost Ship has consistently framed this vagueness as intentional, keeping run depth a discovery rather than a fixed number to optimize around.

GODEEPER: The full upgrade pool and how to build around the Expenite tier is covered in the DRG Rogue Core Upgrade and Progression Guide 2026.

Should you buy DRG Rogue Core in early access now?

The core loop works. Five classes play differently enough that switching between them doesn't feel like a reskin. The Assault Pace selector means you can tune the time pressure to your preference rather than fighting the same curve until you memorize it. Update 01 removed the upgrade mechanic most likely to make veteran players feel cornered into non-choices.

There are two honest answers here, depending on what you're actually buying it for.

If you want a co-op FPS roguelite to play right now, $29.99 for the current build is a reasonable call. The content is lighter than 1.0 will be, but individual runs are complete. You won't hit a wall where the game just stops.

If you're coming in expecting the polish and depth of the original DRG at 1.0, wait. Ghost Ship's own 18-24 month EA timeline puts the full release somewhere around mid-2028 at earliest. It'll be worth it then. The price probably won't change much.

The original DRG launched Mixed, took about two years in early access, and came out as an Overwhelmingly Positive game. Ghost Ship has that record. Rogue Core's Mixed recent numbers are a product of where it is in that process, not where it's going.

Related Reading

• DRG Rogue Core Class Guide: All 5 Reclaimers Explained: what each class does, how they differ in co-op, and which to start with.
• Deep Rock Galactic Rogue Core Co-op Guide 2026: team composition, role assignments, and how the R.E.P.D. upgrade system works in a full squad.
• DRG Rogue Core Upgrade and Progression Guide 2026: how the 100+ upgrade pool is structured, what Expenite tier means, and how to evaluate drafts.
• DRG Rogue Core vs Deep Rock Galactic: 11 Key Differences: what carries over from the original and what doesn't, for players coming from DRG.
• DRG Rogue Core 2026 Roadmap: Ghost Ship's EA Plans: the full roadmap breakdown with what's confirmed and what's still vague.

References

• Deep Rock Galactic Rogue Core on Steam: official store page with reviews and update history
• DRG Rogue Core EA Roadmap (Steam News): Ghost Ship's living EA roadmap, published May 22, 2026
• GameWatcher Patch Notes Log: full patch history including Update 01 details
• Ghost Ship Games on Twitter/X: official developer account for update announcements

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Deep Rock Galactic Rogue Core worth buying in early access? If you enjoy FPS roguelites and co-op, yes. The core loop is solid with 5 classes and 100+ upgrades. Update 01 addressed the biggest early complaints. Mixed recent reviews reflect frustration rather than a broken game. Waiting for 1.0 (18-24 months out) is also reasonable.

What did DRG Rogue Core Update 01 add? Update 01 shipped June 17. It added selectable Assault Pace (Cautious/Standard/Reckless), two new weapons (Trident energy shotgun and Corrosive Sludge Pump heavy weapon), a new airborne enemy (Voidkin Drifter), and a full rework of the shared upgrade negotiation system.

How many classes are in DRG Rogue Core early access? Five: Slicer, Falconer, Guardian, Spotter, and Retcon. Each has a distinct playstyle. Ghost Ship has confirmed more Reclaimer classes are planned for later EA patches, with no specific additions announced yet.

How long is a DRG Rogue Core run? Typical completed runs take 45-90 minutes. Floor count isn't disclosed by Ghost Ship, but community measurements suggest 8-10 floors per run with a Boss floor as the final encounter. Reckless Assault Pace runs tend to run shorter due to time pressure.

What are the enemy factions in DRG Rogue Core? Three at launch: Corespawn, Rafkan, and Shatterclaw. The Voidkin Drifter, a flying enemy, was added in Update 01. It appears across existing faction encounters. Ghost Ship has confirmed more enemy variety for later patches, with no specific factions named yet.

Does DRG Rogue Core co-op require everyone to group up for upgrades? Not anymore. Update 01 fixed this: any Reclaimer can now initiate R.E.P.D. upgrades without the whole squad regrouping at the terminal first. All players link in regardless of position on the floor.