Deep Rock Galactic boss on revisiting older seasons, community, and Helldivers 2 comparisons

Deep Rock Galactic is unmistakable. Helmed by cartoonish Space Dwarves, it's a co-op shooter where players mine deeper and deeper into a planet's surface, taking out bugs and calling for extraction.

It's stuck to that formula since 2020 (in fact, it was one of the earliest games I played on my PC during lockdown), bolstering it with new mechanics and enemy types that a hungry community has grown to eat up. In fact, it's sold over eight million units so far, spawned a Survivor spin-off, and allowed developer Ghost Ship Games to move into publishing.

I had the chance to sit down with Søren Lundgaard, CEO of Ghost Ship Games, to discuss the game's progress by examining what came before, comparisons to Helldivers 2, and a little about what to expect in Season 5, which launches today (June 13) for PC players.

Ghost Ship Games' CEO on returning to prior seasons

The nature of live service games is to always be evolving, always attempting to entice players back with something new.

Ghost Ship Games will offer that, naturally, with Season 5, but it's also looking to bring back older seasonal content. Lundgaard explains that's all for player choice.

"With the ability for players to access older seasons, we want both new players and veterans to be able to play the way they want", he explains.

"Anyone jumping into Deep Rock Galactic for the first time will be welcomed with a wealth of content, whilst those who have been playing for years will be able to play how they want without the risk of missing out on anything. We think it’s a great approach when it comes to bringing players together and increasing the longevity of the game."

Balancing the community

Still, is there a concern that players will feel as though they'd prefer fresh updates?

"We appreciate, and are thankful, for the players who have stuck with us from the beginning, and understand there’s a large portion of our player base who have already played the previous season," Lundgaard admits.

"With Season 5, we’ll be bringing an array of content, including a brand new game mode known as Deep Scan, another new Performance Pass, new enemies, new Overclocks, and much more. Season 5 will also act as a precursor to the upcoming spin-off title, Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core, offering an exciting new look into the next step for the franchise."

On the subject of the game's community, Lundgaard says the plan is always to maintain a level of transparency with them.

"We’ve always embodied the approach of being open with our community and to give a clear insight into where the game is going. Without our players, we wouldn’t be where we are today, and we try to carefully balance an intriguing insight into the game’s development, whilst also keeping expectations in check."

"We will always support players’ ideas and continue to build a game that we believe fans and newcomers will enjoy."

Deep Rock's Helldivers 2 comparisons

It'd be fair to say that the co-op shooter genre has received a shot in the arm this year, with Helldivers 2 being one of 2024's biggest games. The template is remarkably similar to Deep Rock Galactic's in many ways, however, focusing on getting in, completing objectives (usually against huge bugs) and getting out.

Has its popularity changed anything for Ghost Ship Games?

"We wouldn’t say it’s changed our approach, no," Lundgaard says. "We’ve always been driven in delivering cooperative gameplay and avoided chasing trends. Over the years, Deep Rock Galactic has been compared to other titles, most recently Helldivers 2, and it’s great to see the communities of both games come together to share their passion and enthusiasm for each title."

"But we don’t want the inspiration or success of any other games to compromise the vision we have for Deep Rock Galactic."

Deep Rock Galactic Season 5 launches today

Deep Rock Galactic's latest season arrives today for PC players (console players can join later this month), and it's got plenty for the most hardened space miners - and those who have already torn through prior content updates.

"With Season 5, you can expect some fun new changes. Most notable is the new game mode, Deep Scan, which twists the gameplay formula on its head with some exhilarating action," Lundgaard explains.

"New enemies and Overclocks to the weapons will also encourage players to tackle situations in a variety of new ways, too. Outside of the core game, we are also hard at work on Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core, and which we’re excited to share more about in the future!"