A player's guide to War Robots: Frontiers, MY.GAMES' free-to-play mech shooter: how modular robots, gear, pilots and Titans fit together, how to spend Intel and Salvage, the modes, and how to climb.
Researched September 2026 — current as of the September 15, 2026 patch (with detailed notes verified through the Mirror Threat update of April 2026; the Quantum Core mode arrived July 7, 2026). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.
| Part | What it gives | Upgrade priority |
|---|---|---|
| Torso | Core armor and the Core Gear hook | High. Losing the torso loses the robot |
| Chassis | Mobility, and part of your armor pool | Medium to high on brawlers |
| Shoulders | Extra armor and weapon hardpoints | Medium |
| Weapons | Damage profile (energy, kinetic, AoE, etc.) | High for your main weapon |
Balance patches often touch individual module armor (for example, in April 2026 Purifier, Kumo, Lancelot and Bulwark modules had armor reduced). Check patch notes before sinking resources into a module.
Robots come in classes that set their job. Official spotlights describe Heike as "a mobile Defender designed for high-pressure frontline assaults" and Garuda as "a fast, aggressive Flanker built for target isolation and disruption."
| Class | Job | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Defender | Hold the front, soak damage, push objectives | Heike |
| Flanker | Isolate targets, disrupt backlines | Garuda |
| Other classes | Support, long range and specialist roles | See the in-game hangar for each robot's class |
Newer robots get an official "War Robot Spotlight" when they arrive. Since the Mirror Threat update these have covered Relic Lancelot (July 7, 2026), Helios (August 4), Relic Scorpion (August 25) and Angler (September 18). Read the spotlight for each robot's class and Core Gear before you spend on it.
| Date | Update | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| March 24 to April 13 | Steel Advance | Heike (Defender); Event Pass with the Hitcher robot and Nucleon weapons |
| April 14 | Mirror Threat | Garuda (Flanker) and the I.O.N. heavy energy cannon; Battle Pass April 14 to May 18 |
| July 7 | Quantum Core | New game mode; Relic Lancelot spotlight |
| August 4 | Patch | Helios spotlight |
| August 25 | Patch | Relic Scorpion spotlight |
| September 15 | Patch | Angler spotlight followed on September 18 |
Twitch Drops campaigns ran August 8 to 22, August 29 to September 12, and September 19 to October 3, 2026.
| Slot | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core Gear | Ecdysis (Heike): discharges its shields in a 70 m pulse that deals 22,000 damage to enemy shields. Snake Catcher (Garuda): fires a module that deploys an energy cage on impact for 7 seconds; enemy robots can't pass through it, and those caught get a 20% penalty to rate of fire and weapon spread | Fixed per robot |
| Supply Gear | Ghost Turret, Emergency Shield, Blink (a 65 m teleport) | Limited uses. Save them for the fight that matters |
| Cycle Gear | Gamma Beam, Iron Veil (90% damage reduction for 3.5 s), Nanite Repair | Cooldown-based. Use them on cooldown to get full value |
Example build (from the official Garuda spotlight): Garuda with Orkans (light blast rocket launchers), Blink as Supply Gear and Iron Veil as Cycle Gear. Blink closes the gap, Snake Catcher cages the target away from its team, Orkans finish it, and Iron Veil buys time to escape. The same logic (a gap-closer, an isolation tool, burst damage and a defensive cooldown) works for most Flanker builds.
Pilots are characters (for example Bruno Lantoni) that come with their own perks and unlock through events, passes and rewards. Pair a pilot's perks with your robot's role rather than picking by rarity.
Titans are huge machines you call in mid-match. The patch notes reference Titans and Titan weapons such as the Alpha Titan, the Norna Titan (with Coriolis), and Titan weapons such as Callisto, Horde, Conflux and Skuld. The Steam page describes Titans as power-ups with their own specializations, so pick the one that suits your robot's role. Treat your Titan as a closer:
| Resource | Source | Spend it on |
|---|---|---|
| Intel | Playing matches, passes, events | Upgrade levels that need Intel |
| Salvage | Playing matches, disassembling items, passes | Upgrade levels that need Salvage |
| WarpReals (premium) | Real money | Battle Passes, cosmetics, premium time |
| Premium time | Purchase, codes, events, Twitch Drops | Faster progression while active |
Rules of thumb:
| Mode | Goal | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Team Deathmatch | Most kills | Trade efficiently, don't feed |
| Last Robot Standing / Elimination | Wipe the enemy team | Elimination can feature Orbital Strike pickups. Grab them to break stalemates |
| Warp Rush (point control) | Hold objectives | Defenders anchor points, Flankers contest the far ones |
| Quantum Core (added July 7, 2026) | New objective mode | Check the in-game mode description; it's the newest addition |
| Infinite Fuel (limited-time) | Unlimited propulsion, faster rotations | A fun event mode that has returned by popular demand |
The Steam store page lists Team Deathmatch, Last Robot Standing and Warp Rush among the core PvP modes; the playlist rotates, so check what's live in the mode selector.
Maps include the Solidus Node set (Bastion, Depot, Foundry, Umbra) and Tortuga, among others. Solidus Node: Bastion, added in the Steel Advance update, is a "dense virtual combat zone" with elevated platforms and layered paths, so vertical control wins there.
Matchmaking uses leagues such as Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, and region selection is automatic based on ping. Lower leagues can include AI-controlled enemies (patch notes have tuned the AI in the Bronze to Platinum leagues), so early wins are easier than later ones; don't judge a loadout only on its results against bots.
Is War Robots: Frontiers free? Yes. It's free-to-play on Steam (app 1491000), with a premium Battle Pass and cosmetics.
When did it launch? The full release was March 4, 2025, after an early access period. It supports cross-platform multiplayer.
Is it the same as War Robots mobile? No. Frontiers is a separate PC and console game with modular robots (Torso, Chassis and Shoulders) and its own progression.
How do I get new robots like Garuda or Heike? New robots debut with each update through a Battle Pass, Event Pass or Daily Deals (Garuda arrived via Daily Deals with the Mirror Threat update; Hitcher came in the Steel Advance Event Pass) and later show up through events.
What's the fastest way to upgrade? Put Intel and Salvage into one main robot and weapon set, upgrade during 50% discount weeks, stack premium time from Twitch Drops and events, and disassemble what you don't use.
What is Quantum Core? A game mode added in the July 7, 2026 patch. Read the in-game mode description for its current rules.