Rogue Core free weekend on Steam, 50% off until Nov 16

The Rogue Core free weekend is live on Steam. Ghost Ship Games' Steam free weekend announcement says Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core is free for everyone until Monday, November 16, and 50% off for the same period.

The event marks six months of early access, and the studio calls it an open house. It is not the only free trial on Steam right now either: the Company of Heroes 3 free weekend is also running.

How do you play the Rogue Core free weekend?

Head to the Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core Steam page and add the game to your library. Then download it and play as much as you like. The studio says anyone can try it, with no playtime limit.

If you enjoy it, you can grab it cheap. The price has dropped from $14.99 to $7.49 in the US store. We saw a similar deal last week with the Payday 3 and Age of Wonders 4 free weekend.

Rogue Core free weekend at a glance

• Game: Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core (early access)
• Platform: Steam (PC)
• Ends: Monday, November 16
• Discount: 50%, $7.49 instead of $14.99
• Developer: Ghost Ship Games
• Early access launch: May 20, 2026

What is Rogue Core?

Rogue Core is a co-op roguelite shooter set in the Deep Rock Galactic universe. You and your friends dive into the caves, mine resources and fight off swarms of creatures. Each run, you pick new upgrades to power up your character.

The game entered early access on May 20, 2026. TheGamer's free weekend report notes it currently has five classes and a mixed review score on Steam.

What has changed in six months?

Ghost Ship Games openly admits the launch did not go well. The studio's six-month recap lists the changes it has made based on player feedback. Highlights include:

• All enemies now drop experience when killed.
• You no longer need to group up to collect upgrades.
• A terminal in the elevator lets you reroll upgrades.
• Difficulty settings with five Threat Levels.
• An Assault Pace toggle to change the mission timer.
• 25 new upgrades, new weapons, new enemies and a fourth boss, Balgorath.

New weapons and enemies

The arsenal has grown too. The Trident DES is an energy shotgun with a barrage mode, and the Ventura Model 57 is a hard-hitting pump-action. The Corrosive Sludge Pump and LOK-1 Smart Rifle return from the main game. The XQ-2 Quantum Warp Field is a new teleporter tool.

New enemies include the Voidkin Drifter, a sniper that keeps its distance, and the bigger Voidkin Dominator. The Corespawn Bloater explodes on death, which is great for spreading elemental effects.

The latest patch on November 11 added Save and Quit for solo runs. The team is now moving on to Update 4, and an updated roadmap is on the Steam page.

What does it mean for players?

If you tried Rogue Core at launch and bounced off, this is a good second chance. The game is far more flexible now, with difficulty and pacing you can tune. Deep Rock Galactic fans can also check out the spin-off without paying a cent.

One caveat: it is still early access, so content and balance will keep shifting. Looking for something you can keep? Mark November 19 in your calendar, when Alien: Isolation goes free on Epic. Planning to play on handheld? Our piece on Steam Deck FPS data on store pages explains the new performance info.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Rogue Core free weekend end?

Ghost Ship Games says the free weekend runs through Monday, November 16. Check the countdown on the Steam store page for the exact end time in your region.

How much is Rogue Core on sale?

During the free weekend, Rogue Core is 50% off on Steam, down from $14.99 to $7.49 in the US store.

Does free weekend progress carry over?

On Steam free weekends, your progress usually carries over if you buy the game. Rogue Core is still in early access, though, so future updates could change things.

Sources

• Ghost Ship Games (Steam): Rogue Core's FREE WEEKEND is here
• Ghost Ship Games (Steam): 6 months later: Everything we've improved since launch
• Steam: Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core store page
• TheGamer: Ghost Ship Games' Newest Roguelike Goes Free For A Limited Time