Deep Rock Galactic Season 07 and Season 08: Free vs Paid Content

Ghost Ship Games confirmed two future Deep Rock Galactic seasons and a separate paid expansion in its September 29, 2026 Steam announcement. The distinction matters: Season 07 is aimed at December 2026 and remains free, Season 08 is planned for summer 2027 and also free, while the large expansion scheduled alongside Season 08 will cost money. Those are plans rather than releases already available on October 27; the studio explicitly calls its preview work in progress.

Season 07: Contingency Protocol

The developer frames Season 07 around gravity anomalies and Drop Pod crashes on Hoxxes IV. Crews will investigate crash sites and retrieve Memory Cores in a new event. Ghost Ship previews roughly 20 Overclocks, this time including attention to secondary weapons. Examples named in the post include Neurotoxin Minelets, Dragonfire Shells and Dismantler Rounds. A count described as “about” and a work-in-progress label should not be reported as a finalized list of exact live items.

Perks, cosmetics and the free pass

The proposed perk revision adds 11 new perks, reworks some old ones and introduces Perk Maintenance. After all perks are unlocked, Perk Proficiency slots are intended to let longtime players spend surplus points for small baseline buffs. Ghost Ship also previews tattoo cosmetics from a new cave creature, the Kadoc Inker, and paintjobs for traversal tools. The Season 07 Performance Pass is described as free. Its Ironclad Tactical weapon framework is a cosmetic preview, not an extra paid base-game requirement.

What to expect from Season 08 and the expansion

Season 08 is planned for summer 2027 alongside a substantial paid gameplay expansion. The studio says the season will still include free content and build on the Season 07 story, while paid expansion revenue supports a larger scope. The announcement does not give a final release day, feature list or price for the expansion. Do not preorder or budget around an invented number; wait for official package details and confirm what stays in the free season.

What miners can do now

Keep playing the existing game without treating preview features as unlocked. If you are saving resources for new Overclocks, remember that the studio has not finalized acquisition details. Review the live patch notes when Season 07 arrives, especially for old perk changes. Our Deep Rock Galactic overview covers the current four-class co-op loop and PC requirements. This roadmap summary is based on the developer's preview, not on access to an unreleased build.

Official source: Ghost Ship's Seasons Ahead Steam announcement, published September 29, 2026. Checked October 27, 2026.