EVERSPACE 2: Complete Guide

A pilot's guide to EVERSPACE 2: combat fundamentals, ship classes, gear and damage types, progression, the Titans and Wrath of the Ancients expansions, and the Ancient Rifts endgame.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final cross-platform technical update (1 September 2026). ROCKFISH Games has said this is the last planned update; the game is complete.

Quick Start

1. It's a single-player looter-shooter in space, not a roguelike. Unlike the first EVERSPACE, progress is persistent and the 30-hour campaign is story-driven across handcrafted star systems.
2. Match damage to defense. Energy weapons shred shields; kinetic weapons are better against armor and hull. Carry one of each if your ship allows it.
3. Never stop moving. Dodge, dash, roll and boost. Standing still in a dogfight is the fastest way to die.
4. Loot everything. Scrap, gear and resources drop constantly. Sell or dismantle what you don't use.
5. Upgrade gear rather than chasing item level blindly. Since Wrath of the Ancients, gear can be upgraded up to your current level (with rising costs), so a great roll can stay useful.
6. Pick a ship class that fits you. Each class has its own ability and ultimate. You can own several ships.
7. Recruit companions. Companions join during missions and provide upgradable perks and new abilities.
8. Do side content. Side missions, puzzles and secrets give much of the best loot and resources.
9. The DLCs are post-story content. Titans and Wrath of the Ancients extend the endgame and are best tackled once you've finished or nearly finished the main story.

Release Timeline

Combat Fundamentals

Damage types

Rule of thumb: strip shields with energy, then switch to kinetic for the hull. Enemies with lots of armor punish energy-only builds.

Movement

• Boost to close or open distance quickly.
• Dash to dodge incoming fire at the last moment.
• Roll and strafe to keep your nose on target while moving sideways.
• Use terrain. Asteroids and structures block fire and break enemy lock-ons.

Energy management

Your weapons, boost and abilities draw on energy pools. Don't empty everything at once; keep enough to escape if a fight goes wrong.

Ship Classes

The game features a range of ship classes, each with a unique passive, ability and ultimate. As of the final update the classes include:

Tips for choosing:

• New players tend to do well in balanced medium fighters: forgiving and flexible.
• Heavy ships trade speed for more gear slots and survivability.
• Light ships reward skilled dodging and hit-and-run play.
• Try before committing. Traders can sell improved models, and you can keep a collection of ships. Wrath of the Ancients' free update added one extra ship slot and ship-to-ship gear transfer at Homebase.

Gear and Loot

Rarity

Gear comes in rarity tiers from common up to legendary. Wrath of the Ancients added a new, higher rarity tier. Since update 1.0.34616 you can equip two Legendary items.

Slots

Your ship equips primary weapons, secondary weapons, devices, consumables and modules such as shields, armor plating, boosters, energy cores, sensors and cargo units. Each ship class has different slot counts.

Item sets

Sets give bonuses when you equip multiple pieces. The Titans DLC added three: the Power Oscillator set (balancing weapon and thruster energy), the Symbiosis set (spore-based healing) and the Together We Stand set (wingmate-inspired support). Earlier updates added others, such as the Redemption item set (October 2023).

Crafting and upgrading

• Resources come from mining, salvage and missions.
• Crafting builds consumables and gear.
• Rerolling changes stats; the Wrath of the Ancients free update lets you lock stats or traits when rerolling.
• Upgrading: since Wrath, gear can be upgraded up to your current level, with each upgrade costing more.
• Favourites: mark non-stackable items as favourites to avoid selling them by mistake.

Progression

• Player level unlocks access to better gear and perks.
• Perks come from your pilot progression and from companions; companion perks are upgradable.
• Companions join Adam during missions. One important companion is Tareen, an Okkar who features in Wrath of the Ancients.
• Homebase is your hub for managing ships and gear.

The DLC Expansions

Titans (September 2024)

• Two storylines: the Dreadnought questline (the hijacked warship Minokawa, with multi-stage boss fights) and the Leviathan questline (procedurally generated interiors with parasites, traps and puzzles).
• Weapons: returning classics such as Cluster Mines, the Plasma Thrower and the Goo Gun, plus new ones including Judgment Day (a mine launcher), Viscous Intent (a bio weapon) and Inferno (a plasma streamer).
• Catalysts: six new ones, including Evolution, Auto-Collector and Shield Strike.
• Consumables: smokescreens, a Radial Repulsor, armor and secondary ammo repairs, and ULT recharge items.

Wrath of the Ancients (May 2025)

• New star systems with new enemies, secrets and new puzzle types, plus more than ten hours of post-game and side quest content, leading into the Aethon System.
• The Wraith, a new playable Okkar ship built around ability combos.
• Legendary weapons and a new rarity tier.
• No more gear upgrade cap: upgrade favourites to your current level.
• Won Best Audio at the 2026 Deutscher Computerspielpreis.

Endgame: Ancient Rifts and Incursions

• Ancient Rifts are a horde-mode style challenge: fend off incoming enemy ships to drain beacon shields. They scale through Lunacy levels, and dedicated players have pushed into the thousands.
• Incursions (added April 2024) are another repeatable combat activity.
• Build for sustain as difficulty rises: shield regeneration, armor repair and strong ultimate cooldowns matter more than raw burst.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Energy-only builds against armored enemies. Carry kinetic damage too.
• Hoarding junk. Sell or dismantle unused gear; inventory fills quickly.
• Ignoring side missions. They give the resources and blueprints you need.
• Staying in one ship forever. Other classes might fit your playstyle much better.
• Face-tanking capital ships. Use terrain and keep moving.
• Forgetting consumables. Repair kits and ammo restocks turn losing fights into wins.
• Rushing into DLC content underleveled. Finish the main story first.

Advanced Tips

• Build around your ultimate. Gear and perks that shorten cooldowns make many classes much stronger.
• Use devices defensively as well as offensively.
• Lock good rolls before rerolling (Wrath free update feature).
• Transfer gear at Homebase when switching ships to test builds cheaply.
• Use community resources. ROCKFISH has highlighted community endgame build guides for Stinger, Vanguard, Striker, Sentinel, Gunship, Scout, Interceptor, Bomber, Vindicator and Wraith, plus the official Discord.
• Skippable puzzle: the final update lets you skip the "Peace of the Ancients" battle of the minds via the pause menu if it's blocking you.

Performance and Platforms

• Steam Deck Verified since the 1 September 2026 update, with handheld-specific UI and bigger fonts.
• Upscalers: DLSS 4.5.0, FSR 4.1.1 (older GPUs may fall back to 3.1.5) and XeSS 2.0.2.
• Macs and Linux have been supported since 2023.

FAQ

Is EVERSPACE 2 still being updated? The 1 September 2026 update is the final planned update. ROCKFISH is working on a new EVERSPACE project.

Do I need the DLCs? No. The base game has the full 30-hour campaign. Titans and Wrath of the Ancients add post-story content.

Is it multiplayer? No, it's single-player only.

Which ship class is best? There's no single best. Balanced medium fighters are the easiest to learn; the community has endgame builds for every class.

What are Ancient Rifts? Scaling horde-style endgame challenges measured in Lunacy levels.

Can I skip the "Peace of the Ancients" puzzle? Yes, since the final update, via the pause menu.

Sources

• Steam store page: EVERSPACE 2
• Steam news: Titans, Wrath of the Ancients, final update
• Wikipedia: Everspace 2