Deep Rock Galactic celebrates 5 years by letting players dig like it's 2018

Deep Rock Galactic, the grim vision of galactic extractive hypercapitalism that's also a wonderful community and great hang, will soon be 5 years old. The co-op first-person shooter is celebrating by letting you play the game as it launched in preview form in 2018.

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That game and other factors--lower system requirements, a generally friendly and welcoming online community, constant updates, Game Pass availability--have led to DRG selling more than 5.5 million copies by the end of 2022, across all platforms. Its daily active users have nearly tripled since 2019. And its Steam reviews have been 97 percent positive since its launch there.
Now those players will soon have a rare chance to appreciate how far intergalactic mining has come since its inception. Developer Ghost Ship Games writes that it will add the option to "play DRG as it was when it originally launched in early 2018."
From the early-access reviews dating back to 2018 we could find (at Polygon, VG47, and various YouTube channels), that version of the game is, as you might expect, more stripped-down and detail-rich. The weapons and HUD look more like a traditional FPS. The mine textures, while still visually distinctive, are less detailed and more earth-toned. And your home base is likely to look far, far less rich and interactive (as seen at Gaming Boulevard). Still, it might be worth a few visits for perspective on what gets added to a constantly developed game.
DRG's developers also plan to offer a "Supporter II Upgrade DLC" full of (entirely optional and cosmetic) weapon styles, clothing, and paint jobs that mark you as an appreciator of geologic camaraderie simulators. Fans often buy these not just for the gear, but also to support developers who have been providing a wealth of free updates, years after many players first bought the game (though more join every year, it seems). The developers also plan to host livestreams from their office about the game's future and keep working on the project.
"We are not slowing down on Deep Rock Galactic," Ghost Ship Games writes on its update. "We have never been as busy making exciting new things for this labor of love which now turns 5."
Listing image by Ghost Ship Games