Ghost Ship Games has unveiled new details about the upcoming season reactivation feature for Deep Rock Galactic as players await Season 5.
As the game’s fifth season approaches, players will have the opportunity to activate previous seasons and reap the rewards they provided. According to the studio, incorporating this feature will necessitate “a few structural changes” to Deep Rock Galactic.
However, they assure players that there’s no cause for concern; “nothing’s going away,” as Ghost Ship reassures.
In a recent Q&A update shared on the Deep Rock Galactic Steam page, Ghost Ship Games provides a detailed breakdown of what the season reactivation feature entails.
Primarily, players will be presented with a choice of which season to activate via a new tab on the Season Terminal. Once a season is selected, players can then proceed to play games with friends or random players as usual.
Importantly, it’s not necessary for other players to be in the same season as you to join your game. Each player will progress through their respective seasons during gameplay sessions. Furthermore, past seasons’ enemies and events will still make appearances, though Ghost Ship notes that “probabilities will be adjusted to reflect the focus of each season.”
This is exciting news for newcomers to the Deep Rock Galactic franchise who may have missed out on past seasons. Rather than integrating expired season content into the loot pool, players will now have the option to reactivate old seasons and pursue season passes they may have missed.
Even better, if you’ve partially completed seasonal pass content in the past, your progress has be saved, allowing you to pick up right where you left off.
The inaugural season of Deep Rock Galactic made its debut on November 4th, 2021, followed by its second installment on April 28th, 2022. The third season followed suit on November 3rd, with the most recent, and unfortunately least impressive, season launching almost a year ago on June 15th.
Each seasonal update brings forth a plethora of fresh in-game features, weaponry, missions, and enemies, plunging players deep into the depths as they toil away for the Deep Rock mining company.
Undoubtedly, the primary draw of these seasonal updates lies in the introduction of cosmetics for both your dwarven character and your arsenal. Historically, once a season concludes, a portion of the items available throughout the season pass period is integrated into the cargo crate loot pool, resulting in an arduous grind to collect every cosmetic option for your character. However, with this new structure, players who missed out on earlier seasons now have the opportunity to replay old battle passes, thereby accelerating the acquisition of coveted cosmetics.
This new feature is clearly targeted at less experienced dwarves, providing an opportunity for newcomers to the franchise to tackle previously concluded seasonal content. While diehard fans eagerly await the launch of the game’s fifth season, the recent delays and lackluster updates may be attributed to Ghost Ship Games focusing on their other project, Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core.
As the name implies, this new game is a departure from the beloved class system synonymous with the Deep Rock Galactic fandom. Rogue Core is set for a November release, coinciding with DRG’s fifth season launch in June 2024, positioned as a “prelude” to Ghost Ship’s new game.
However, I’m apprehensive about Ghost Ship Games potentially overexploiting their successful franchise with a lackluster roguelite. Deep Rock Galactic’s charm lies in its robust weapon customization and class system, elements seemingly absent in Rogue Core.
The most recent seasonal update for Deep Rock Galactic, nearly a year ago, was underwhelming compared to its predecessors, indicating a possible diversion of resources as developers focus on their upcoming title.
It’s commendable that Ghost Ship Games is giving newer players the opportunity to access seasonal content that has already concluded. However, this gesture raises the question of whether the upcoming fifth season, themed around their upcoming title, will actually impress the playerbase.
