Deep Rock Galactic's roguelite spinoff digs up a new trailer for the Triple-I Initiative, closed alpha testing is 'starting soon'

Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core - Gameplay Trailer | The Triple-i Initiative - YouTube

The roguelite shooter Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core made an appearance at today's Triple-I showcase with a new gameplay trailer and word that a closed alpha test on Steam is "starting soon."

Announced in 2023, Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core is a co-op shooter for 1-4 players that takes place in highly destructible caves filled with all sorts of alien unpleasantness. Not too far off the original Deep Rock Galactic in that sense, then, but Rogue Core changes things up with a roguelite structure: Players start each mission with just a basic loadout and earn upgrades, equipment, and new abilities as they progress through each multi-stage run. Optional missions will bring greater rewards, and of course the deeper you go the tougher it gets.

Developer Ghost Ship Games further clarified that Rogue Core is a roguelite, not a roguelike, "to signify that there will be a meta gameplay with permanent progression between missions." Between stages, players can return to their ship to research and unlock permanent upgrades that can be carried over to subsequent dives.

Rogue Core will also feature four all-new classes, with more planned for future updates, and they sound a little more exotic, let's say, than Deep Rock Galactic's lineup of Driller, Gunner, Engineer, and so forth:

Falconeer allows the chance to fight on two fronts at once
Slicer is an expert in delivering offensive assault
Spotter can identify the best targets for attack
Guardian works to keep players safe from the threat of the Core Spawn

The plan is to launch Rogue Core into early access by the end of 2025, but first, the closed alpha: If you're interested in giving it a shot, you can register for access on the Steam page. A date hasn't been set but the game's development roadmap slates the alpha test for Q2 of 2025, which puts it sometime before the end of June. But that roadmap is dated from October 2023, when the game was expected to be out in 2024, and also indicates that the final update for 2024 is still in the works—so hopefully it'll make that early summer timeline, but maybe don't start holding your breath just yet.

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Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core screenshot — (Image credit: Ghost Ship Games)

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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