Deep Rock Galactic: Complete Guide

A guide to Deep Rock Galactic for new greenbeards and returning dwarves. It covers the four classes and their kits, mission types, hazard levels, resources and upgrades, Overclocks and Deep Dives, promotions, and the current season and events.

Researched September 2026 — current as of Season 6 (patch S06.05.02) with Rocktoberfest 2026 live (from September 24, for two weeks). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

What's happening right now: Rocktoberfest 2026 runs for two weeks from September 24. Ghost Ship says it will share "big news" for DRG at Coffee Stain's Big Break Showcase on September 29, 2026 (19:00 CEST). The roguelite spin-off Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core entered Early Access in May 2026 as a separate game. All six DRG seasons are free, with no time-limited battle passes. Every season's Performance Pass stays available.

Quick Start

• Play every class to around level 10. You'll understand your teammates' tools, and each class levels separately.
• Start on Hazard 2–3. Hazard 1 is a tutorial. Hazard 3 is where the game gets fun.
• Always carry Nitra. Nitra calls in resupply pods (80 Nitra each by default). Mine every red crystal you see.
• Deposit into MULE (Molly). You can call her to your position. Minerals in your pockets are lost if the mission fails.
• Look up. Look everywhere. The laser pointer marks minerals and enemies for the team. Throw flares (default F) to light caves.
• Revive your team, and pick up downed dwarves quickly. The last dwarf standing can still win.
• Salute with "Rock and Stone!" (default V). It doesn't do anything mechanically, but it's mandatory.
• Use the Forge for Overclocks and spend Credits and minerals on weapon upgrades before cosmetics.
• Do the Weekly Core Hunt assignment (Deep Dives and weekly Lost Machine Events give Overclock cores).

The Four Classes

Class | Traversal | Primary weapons | Secondary weapons | Grenade examples

Scout | Grappling Hook, Flare Gun | Deepcore GK2, M1000 Classic, DRAK-25 Plasma Carbine | Jury-Rigged Boomstick, Zhukov NUK17, Nishanka Boltshark X-80 | Cryo Grenade, IFG, Pheromone Canister

Gunner | Zipline Launcher, Shield Generator | "Lead Storm" Powered Minigun, "Thunderhead" Heavy Autocannon, Hurricane Guided Rocket System | "Bulldog" Heavy Revolver, BRT7 Burst Fire Gun, ArmsKore Coil Gun | Sticky Grenade, Incendiary, Cluster

Engineer | Platform Gun, Sentry Gun | "Warthog" Auto 210, "Stubby" Voltaic SMG, LOK-1 Smart Rifle | Deepcore 40mm PGL, Breach Cutter, Shard Diffractor | L.U.R.E., Plasma Burster, Proximity Mine

Driller | Power Drills, C4 | CRSPR Flamethrower, Cryo Cannon, Corrosive Sludge Pump | Subata 120, Experimental Plasma Charger, Colette Wave Cooker | Impact Axe, High Explosive, Neurotoxin

Role quick read:

• Scout: lights and marks the cave, mines high-up minerals, and picks off priority targets (Menace, Spitter, Mactera). Don't wander off.
• Gunner: main damage against swarms. The Shield Generator saves wipes, and ziplines move the team up and across gaps.
• Engineer: platforms for mining and bridges, and sentries to cover flanks. The PGL handles big crowds.
• Driller: makes tunnels and escape routes, ice or burn crowd control, and opens rock walls to shortcut objectives. The C4 is the best panic button (and team-killer) in the game.

Mission Types

Mission | Objective

Mining Expedition | Mine the required Morkite

Egg Hunt | Dig out Alien Eggs

On-Site Refining | Connect pipelines to wells and defend the refinery

Salvage Operation | Repair MULE legs, defend the uplink and fuel cell

Point Extraction | Collect Aquarqs and deposit them into the extraction rig that drops in with you

Elimination | Kill Dreadnoughts inside cocoons

Escort Duty | Protect and refuel Doretta the drilling rig

Industrial Sabotage | Hack and destroy a Rival Caretaker

Deep Scan | Scan and mine resonance crystals (added in Season 5)

Secondary objectives (Fossils, Apoca Blooms, Ebonuts, Boolo Caps, Dystrum, Hollomite, Gunk Seeds, Fester Fleas) give bonus rewards. Do them in the same trip.

Mutators and warnings such as Low Oxygen, Lithophage Outbreak, Rival Presence, Mactera Plague, Exploder Infestation, Double XP, Gold Rush and Golden Bugs change the mission. Read the tooltip before you drop.

Hazard Levels

Hazard | Reward bonus

1 | +25%

2 | +50%

3 | +75%

4 | +100%

5 | +133%

Hazard 5+ (custom difficulty) lets you stack modifiers on Hazard 5: Aggressive Enemies, More Enemies, Player Vulnerability, Tough Enemies. Deep Dives are 3-stage runs with no resupply between stages. The normal Deep Dive sits around "Hazard 3.5", and the Elite Deep Dive is harder (~4.5–5.5 tier).

Resources and Economy

• Credits: buy weapons, upgrades, cosmetics.
• Minerals (Bismor, Croppa, Enor Pearl, Jadiz, Magnite, Umanite): used for upgrades. You can trade them at the Trading Terminal on the Space Rig.
• Nitra: resupply pods only.
• Gold: straight credits when mined.
• Morkite: the main objective mineral in Mining Expeditions.
• Blank Matrix Cores / Matrix Cores: Overclocks and cosmetics, crafted at the Forge.
• Perk Points: from achievements and assignments. Buy perks with them.

Perks (good starter picks)

Active: Iron Will (get back up once when downed) is the best early pick. Field Medic (faster revives), Dash and Shield Link are also good. Passive: Vampire, Thorns, Resupplier, Born Ready (auto-reload), Deep Pockets, Sweet Tooth.

Progression: Levels, Promotions, Overclocks

• Each class levels 1 to 25. At 25 you can promote (Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Emerald → Legendary). Promotion resets class level, but you keep your gear and earn a new promotion badge plus rewards.
• Overclocks are powerful weapon modifiers: Clean (small buff), Balanced (trade-off), and Unstable (big change with a real downside). You get them from Machine Events, Deep Dives, and the Forge (using Matrix Cores).
• Performance Pass: complete missions, seasonal events and challenges to level the seasonal pass. All seasons' passes can be switched between, and none of them expire.

Unlocking the Forge and Deep Dives

• The Forge and Weekly Deep Dives unlock after you reach a certain character level (the promotion and Deep Dive assignments guide you there).
• Weekly Deep Dives and Elite Deep Dives reset each week. They give Matrix Cores and big Performance Pass rewards.

Enemies You Need to Know

Enemy | Threat | How to handle

Glyphid Grunt / Guard / Slasher | Melee swarms | Crowd control, headshots

Glyphid Praetorian | Acid breath, tanky | Shoot the weak spot on its back

Glyphid Oppressor | Very armoured | Attack its back or use explosives

Glyphid Menace / Warden | Ranged / buffs nearby Glyphids | Priority kill, especially Wardens

Mactera Spawn / Grabber / Goo Bomber | Flying | The Grabber snatches dwarves. Shoot it immediately

Cave Leech | Hidden on ceilings, grabs you | Flares help. Kill before it pulls you up

Naedocyte Breeder | Makes Shockers | Kill fast

Bulk Detonator | Huge explosion on death | Kill it away from the team

Korlok Tyrant-Weed | Seasonal event boss | Shoot its exposed weak points

Rival Tech (turrets, drones) | Ranged | Use cover, hack or destroy

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Not calling Molly. Minerals you hold are lost if the team fails.
• Driller C4 near teammates. Friendly fire is on by default.
• Dropping resupply pods on teammates. They crush dwarves.
• Running to the drop pod alone. A dwarf left behind loses a big chunk of their rewards, so extract together and cover the stragglers.
• Ignoring Nitra. No Nitra means no resupply, which means no ammo or health.
• Skipping Iron Will. It's the best early active perk.
• Going Hazard 5 with no Overclocks. Hazard 4 is a great grinding level until you have good gear.
• Mining the whole cave before the objective. The swarm timer keeps ticking.

Advanced Tips

• Weapon Maintenance levels the weapons you actually use. Check each weapon's maintenance rewards and prioritize your main guns.
• Scout pro tip: use the grappling hook to reach high Morkite veins and Nitra. Keep the flare gun fired ahead in dark areas so your team can see.
• Gunner pro tip: time the shield bubble to cover revives, and place ziplines to move the team out of danger.
• Engineer pro tip: use the platform gun to block Glyphid tunnels, and place sentries to cover back lines.
• Driller pro tip: dig a tunnel through a wall and hold the choke point with flame or cryo.
• Aim at weak points: Praetorian backs, the Dreadnought's back, and the Bulk Detonator's glowing spots.
• Salute your MULE. Molly doesn't care, but your team will.
• Hazard 5+ and Elite Deep Dives are the endgame. Build around your Overclocks and use coordinated class roles.

Seasons and Events

• Seasons 1–6 are all free. They add events (Rival Incursions, Plagueheart meteors, Korlok, Core Stones and more), new enemies and new mission types. The current season is Season 6.
• Rocktoberfest 2026 (September 24 onward, two weeks): complete the Rocktoberfest assignment for the new Freihand Tap Cap. Use the "Hunt for Lederhosen" assignment to get Lederhosen and previous years' Rocktoberfest hats. There's special beer on the Space Rig.
• Earlier 2026 events: the Great Egg Hunt (spring), Operation Rogue Core (May–July), the Space Beach Party (August).
• DRG: Rogue Core is a separate roguelite game (Early Access since May 2026).

FAQ

Is Deep Rock Galactic still getting updates? Yes. It gets seasonal events and small patches. Ghost Ship will share DRG news at the Big Break Showcase (September 29, 2026).

What's the best class for beginners? Gunner. It's forgiving and has high damage, and the shield saves your team. Engineer is a close second.

What's the difference between Deep Dives and Elite Deep Dives? Both are three-stage weekly runs. Elite Deep Dives are harder and give more rewards.

How do I get Overclocks? From Machine Events, Deep Dive rewards, and by crafting Matrix Cores at the Forge.

Can I play solo? Yes. Solo players get Bosco, a drone that mines, revives and shoots.

Are seasons time-limited? No. All seasonal Performance Passes can be switched between at any time.

What is Rogue Core? A separate DRG spin-off roguelite game, in Early Access since May 2026.

Sources

• Prepare yourself for THE BIG BREAK / Rocktoberfest live, Steam, Sep 25 2026
• Rocktoberfest 2026 – Preview, Steam, Sep 17 2026
• Big news coming in the Big Break Showcase, Steam, Sep 16 2026
• Patch Notes S06.05.02, Steam, Aug 6 2026
• Operation Rogue Core event, Steam, May 6 2026
• Hazard Level – Deep Rock Galactic Wiki
• Seasons – Deep Rock Galactic Wiki
• Steam store page