Will To Live Online: Survival & Progression Guide

A practical guide to surviving your first weeks in Will To Live Online (WTLO), AlphaSoft's free-to-play post-apocalyptic MMO shooter: survival stats, classes, servers, factions, crafting, events and how to make money without losing everything to a PK squad.

Researched September 2026 — current as of Update 0.7.3 ("The RAID Squad Returns!", 7 September 2026). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status check: WTLO is still in Early Access on Steam (since 5 April 2018), free to play, with a Supporters pack DLC and a Premium status. It is actively patched: 0.6.17 (March 2026), 0.6.18 (April), 0.6.19 (May), 0.7.1 (July) and 0.7.3 (September) all landed this year. Steam reviews sit at Mixed (about 65% positive).

Quick Start

• Choose a NO-PK server for your first character. The server list includes NO-PK servers, where other players can't kill you. The developers note that in NO-PK mode players are "effectively invulnerable", so airdrops and loot there are uncontested. Learn the maps there before you try full PvP.
• Watch hunger, thirst and radiation constantly. They drain as you play. Always carry food, water and anti-radiation supplies before you head into anomalies, mines or bunkers.
• You can have up to four characters, one per class. Each class has its own gear and ability tree. Try all four early instead of committing all your time to one.
• Quests are your early income and XP. The game has 160+ quests. Follow the quest chain from the starting settlement's traders and NPCs before you go farming on your own.
• Weapons use real ballistics. Bullet drop, penetration and ammo type matter. Zero your scope, learn the ammo types (the .338LM M1 cartridge recipe arrived in 0.7.1) and don't fight at ranges your gun can't handle.
• Use the PDA. Your PDA holds quests and the recipe list. Since 0.6.19, every recipe shows how it's crafted, and there's a search bar/filter.
• Bind the new quick keys. Update 0.6.18 added a hold-to-switch quick grenade throw (fragmentation, healing, EMP, defensive) and a "Quick Equipment Placement" key. Neither is bound by default, so set them in Settings.
• Sell spare loot in the Commission Shop. It's the player-to-player marketplace, and a lot of your early money will come from here.
• Join a clan once you're comfortable. Clans have their own technology, storage and missions (clan missions use NDP crystals and similar resources).

Survival Systems

System | What it does | How to manage it

Hunger | Drains over time; low hunger hurts your performance and health | Carry cooked food; hunt and cook at campfires (any class can place one)

Thirst | Drains steadily alongside hunger | Keep water in your inventory at all times; brewing and crafting can make drinks

Radiation | Builds up in irradiated zones and anomaly areas | Use anti-radiation items and protective gear (community guides recommend keeping a bandana on and using a gas mask for full protection); don't hang around hot zones

Anomalies | Invisible or hard-to-see hazards that damage you | Walk slowly in marked areas and watch for visual distortions

Inventory space | A full pack means leaving good loot behind | Stash or sell junk before long trips and don't carry everything you pick up

Tips:

• Campfires are available to every class. Use them to cook meat from hunting, which is much cheaper than buying food.
• Night is more dangerous. Some events, like the robo-wolf RW-01 from the "Quench The Thirst with Gasoline!" event, only show up at night.
• Stims have a crafting chain. 0.6.19 added a "Small container for stimulators" recipe (glass tubes plus iron), and you can sell the containers in the Commission Shop.

Classes and Character Building

WTLO has four classes, each with its own outfit, equipment, weapon access and ability tree. You can make one character of each class (up to four per account) and customize male/female appearance.

Class | Typical role (per a long-standing top-rated Steam community guide)

Miner (Prospector) | Tanky PvE class with shotguns and grenade launchers

Hunter | Long-range specialist with rifles and sniper weapons; strong in PvP

Mercenary | Mid-range fighter built around critical hits and reload speed

Engineer | Close-quarters SMG user with crafting bonuses, placeable equipment and healing

The Russian community calls the Miner "Старатель" (Prospector), so you'll see both names. Weapon access and balance have changed over the years, so check each class's description on the character creation screen.

What's confirmed in current patch notes:

• Engineer is the gadget/support class. Their toolkit includes placeable equipment like defensive lines (their placement mechanics changed in 0.7.3), plus the i-HR healing device. Since 0.6.18, the i-HR has an alternative fire mode (right mouse button) that shoots healing NDP energy, and a quick-shot key to heal an ally. How much it heals depends on the Engineer's active skills, the Medicine stat and the Equipment skill branch.
• There are weapon-handling skills plus utility skills such as mining and crafting.

How progression works:

• You level your character and put skill points into ability branches. Higher levels unlock new weapons and class abilities.
• Weapon skills improve the weapon families you use. Pick one or two weapon types and stick with them rather than spreading points around.
• Stats such as Medicine scale some class abilities, so read each skill's tooltip to see what it scales from.

Build rules of thumb

Goal | Priority

Solo PvE questing | A sturdy class like the Miner, or an Engineer with healing; carry plenty of healing items

Long-range PvP | Hunter with a scoped rifle and the right ammo type

Group PvE (raids, bosses) | Someone on Engineer for healing and defensive placements; everyone else focused on damage

PvP / faction war | Armor quality, ammo type and fast grenade switching matter more than raw level

Crafting/economy alt | Put Mining and crafting skills on a second character so your combat character stays lean

Weapons, Ammo and Armor

• Realistic ballistics: ammo caliber and type affect damage and armor penetration. Crafted ammo like the .338LM M1 round (the recipe came in 0.7.1) is worth making once you have the materials. Since 0.6.19, S1-type ammunition in airdrops has been replaced by M1.
• Attachments: sights, suppressors and muzzle brakes change how your weapon handles. Modify your main weapon before you upgrade armor.
• Cosmetic paints: weapon and armor paints (event paints like Frost, Zombie and Redline) are purely visual.
• Armor tiers: faction armor is the benchmark for high-end protection. Event vendors sometimes sell alternatives. The Biker's medium and heavy biker vests (July 2026 event) were described as only slightly weaker than the best faction armor.
• High-tech armor sets can come from airdrops, which only appear in PvE-focused locations. After the May 2026 hotfix, airdrops also contain crafting resources for ammo and armor, a gasoline purification filter and NDP crystals for clan missions.

Factions, Servers and PvP

• There are two opposing factions: Confederation and Black Sunset. Players who haven't joined either are neutral. Factions have their own armor, bases and a PvP ranking table.
• Joining a faction pulls you into faction confrontation and territory fights. Community guides describe the Confederation as the more starter-friendly side (food vendors and fast travel toward Kuzmich and Mine Town) and Black Sunset as sitting closer to boss locations with more centralized NPC trading. These notes are a few years old, so check current faction perks in game.
• NO-PK servers: other players can't kill you, so they're great for questing, gathering and airdrops.
• PvP servers: full player killing. Bring only gear you can afford to lose, and travel with a group.

Locations You'll Hear About

The world has 18 locations: villages, forests, mines, caves, bogs and military sites, plus "dungeons" like mines, bunkers and metro stations. These names come up in current patch notes:

Location | Notes

Big Village | Trading hub; trader Gosha works here and was threatened by the RAID squad in 0.7.3

Solnechny outskirts | Seasonal event NPCs set up nearby (e.g. the Lunar New Year event)

Coast | Crab farmers and night encounters (robo-wolf RW-01 during events)

Eastern Territories | Telescope area; RAID squad event zone

Swamps | Home of the swamp researchers mentioned in event notes

Canyon | Object loading was optimized in 0.6.17 for smoother play

Testing Grounds | Visually overhauled in 0.6.17

Foothills | You can no longer place an MHP here (0.6.19)

Mines, bunkers and metro stations | The game's "dungeons": underground areas with tougher enemies and better loot. Go with a group

NPCs you'll deal with include Kira (the bar), trader Fedor, trader Gosha (Big Village), Kuzmich, Mikhalych, the Roaming Trader and event NPCs like the Biker.

Crafting and Economy

• Stations: the forge, chemical station and other stations each have their own recipes. The interface was reworked in 0.6.19.
• Recipe discovery: check the PDA recipe list and use the filter to find what you can make with what's in your pack.
• Mining: mining skill and pickaxes let you gather ore in mines. A crafting alt is a good home for this skill.
• Ammo crafting times changed in 0.6.19: some components now take longer, and some small-caliber rounds are quicker. If you mass-produce ammo, requeue your production after big patches.
• Commission Shop: list surplus crafting materials and event drops here. Event items like damaged RAID armor plates sell to merchants for good money. An intact plate is described as a rare stroke of luck.
• Premium status speeds up progression. It's sometimes given away free during events and promotions (0.6.18 was titled "New improvements and free premium"), so check patch notes before you buy it.

Events and Adventures (2026)

Event | Dates / patch | What to farm

Lunar New Year | Ended by 4 March 2026 (0.6.17) | Holiday items (now removed)

Adventure #2 "Without the right to make a mistake" | 0.7.1, 13 July 2026 | Adventure rewards; .338LM M1 recipe added in the same patch

RAID Recon Squad | Launched 0.7.1; squad "disappeared" 21 July 2026 | Loot from RAID soldiers

"Quench The Thirst with Gasoline!" | From 29 July 2026 | Biker vests; Freerider motorcycle for chrome bolts (from robo-wolf RW-01)

The RAID Squad Returns | 0.7.3; until 13 September 2026 inclusive | Two squads (Eastern Territories and near Big Village); RAID armor plates

Fighting the RAID squad: as of 0.7.3 they use shields and grenades. Bring an Engineer for healing, use cover, and don't stack up. Grenade explosion positions are more accurate since the 0.7.3 sync fix, so spacing out genuinely helps.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Starting on a PvP server with your best gear. Learn routes and loot tables on NO-PK first.
• Ignoring thirst. Running dry in the middle of a dungeon is a classic new-player death. Pack more water than you think you need.
• Buying ammo you could craft. Once you have the stations and recipes, crafting is far cheaper, especially for high-caliber rounds.
• Splitting skill points across too many weapon types. Focus on one or two.
• Driving through defenses. Since 0.7.3, vehicles can no longer punch through an EMI shield at high speed.
• Dropping quests when you lose a quest item. The 0.7.3 fix means losing the artifact during the Roaming Trader quest "Tell the trader about the artifact" no longer blocks trading. Buy a new container and find another artifact.
• Leaving new keybinds unset. The quick grenade and quick equipment keys do nothing until you bind them.

Advanced Tips

• Airdrop farming on NO-PK: after the May 2026 rework, airdrops are aimed at players who need clan-mission resources (NDP crystals, gasoline filters) and armor materials. On NO-PK you can take them uncontested.
• Engineer i-HR burst healing: alt-fire heals at range, and how much it heals scales with Medicine and the Equipment branch. In group PvE, a dedicated Engineer with those investments makes raid bosses far safer.
• Grenade wheel discipline: hold the quick-throw key to cycle through frag, healing, EMP and defensive grenades. EMP is useful against drones and machine enemies like the robo-wolf RW-01.
• Event currency planning: event vendors (like the Biker trading for chrome bolts) are only around for a limited time. Farm the event enemy early, then trade.
• Keep a crafting alt. Using your spare class slots for mining and crafting keeps your main's skill points focused on combat.
• VPN users (Russian Federation): since 0.6.19 the client builds the server list even when it gets no response. It can show stale status during restarts, so if a server won't connect, wait a minute and retry.

FAQ

Is Will To Live Online free? Yes. It's free to play on Steam with optional purchases (a Supporters pack DLC and Premium status). Premium is sometimes handed out free during events.

Can I play without being killed by other players? Yes. Pick a NO-PK server. PvE content, quests and airdrops all work there.

How many characters can I have? Up to four, each a different class.

What are the system requirements? The current Steam listing asks for 64-bit Windows 10, 12 GB RAM, a GTX 1060 6GB or RX 580 and 45 GB of space. 16 GB RAM and an SSD are recommended.

Is the RAID squad event still running? The 0.7.3 announcement said the RAID squad would appear until 13 September 2026 inclusive, so it has ended. Watch Steam news for a return.

Which faction should I join? Either one, Confederation or Black Sunset. What matters most is where your friends or clan are. Faction choice mainly affects PvP, faction armor and territory fights.

Does WTLO have a story? Yes. The world history and 160+ quests slowly explain what destroyed the world, with Adventures adding extra story chapters.

Sources

• Will To Live Online on Steam
• Will To Live Online Steam news and patch notes (0.6.17 to 0.7.3)
• Steam Web API news feed for app 707010
• Will To Live Online community guides on Steam
• "200 IQ: Your Only All In One Guide" (Steam community guide: classes, factions, radiation)