Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor - Heavy Duty Expansion

I dove into Heavy Duty with a grin and a tow chain. Funday Games' expansion for Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor promises one thing loud and clear: overkill. Between a bulldozing new class, a slippery frozen biome and an egg-collection mission that ends in a boss throwdown, this DLC shakes up what I thought was already a comfortably chaotic game. It’s indulgent, sometimes messy, and frequently hilarious — exactly the kind of update fans either love or rage-quit about.

Crushing Through the Swarm

Playing the Demolisher feels like piloting a war-ready construction vehicle with a terrible sense of subtlety. The core loop still centers on running into tight caverns, looting resources and surviving waves, but now you do it from the driver's seat of the Rockdozer. Driving and shooting are the primary daily verbs: you plow through enemies, mine slower but more effectively with heavy tools, and choose between beam-like weapons and explosive projectile loadouts. The tag system is a neat touch — even if you’re not in the Demolisher suit you can pick up certain weapons for other classes, which keeps loadout variety surprisingly high. In practice, missions like Egg Hunt force you to branch out from the central pod, grab eggs under pressure and haul them back while under fire, which turns some routine runs into frantic logistics sims.

When a Bulldozer Becomes a Class

What sets Heavy Duty apart is the vehicle-as-character idea. The Rockdozer isn’t just cosmetic: overdriven beams, backfire guns and a handful of overclock choices make it feel custom and ridiculous in the best way. Eleven new weapons are included, and they span everything from satisfying swathes of destruction to niche supportive tools that change how you approach chokepoints. The Egg Hunt mission spices up pacing with its star-shaped delivery flow — you collect, you deliver, and when you hit quota the Brood Nexus erupts and flips the whole mission into a boss gauntlet. That shift from collection to sudden defense is tense and brilliantly executed, even if it can feel punishing when combined with unlucky spawns. Glacial Strata also forces tactical thinking: ice tiles reward momentum but punish control, and cryo enemies introduce new counters to your usual strategies.

A Noisy, Frostbitten Presentation

Graphically the expansion keeps the chunky, cartoony aesthetic of Survivor but layers in icy visual cues—slick reflections, brittle crystals and frosty particle FX that sell the new biome. Audio is where the DLC shines: the Rockdozer’s engine growl, the crunch of ice and the satisfying thud when a bug gets steamrolled all feel impactful. Performance is mostly stable on my Windows rig, but a handful of users report frame drops in Endless and occasional physics bugs — notably issues with dropship hitboxes and the vehicle getting stuck on ramps, which can turn a victorious run into a facepalm moment. Accessibility-wise, the Demolisher asks more of your movement control than other classes; if you prefer nimble scouts, the learning curve might frustrate you at first.

Heavy Duty is loud, inventive and frequently hilarious — with sore spots that need sanding. It's a must-try for fans who want a new, destructive way to play, but be prepared for rough edges and a learning curve. If technical issues or price sensitivity bother you, consider waiting for fixes or discounts; otherwise, put on a helmet, rumble in, and enjoy the carnage.