Fast answer
The base lets you recruit fighters with traits and prepare different loadouts. A September demo update says squadmates became distinct characters. Treat each recruit as a combat or staffing decision: check the live trait description, your available gear and the vacancy you need to fill.
What a new fighter actually adds
The developer’s September 5 update states squadmates now have unique identity and personality. The official demo description says recruitment and traits feed base progression. Older videos may show generic character models or older names; do not write their stats into a current class ranking.
- Open the candidate card and read the present trait.
- Check who is already assigned to critical rooms.
- Reserve a usable combat option in case your preferred fighter is injured.
Combat roster versus base staff
Workshop crafting and clinic recovery are tied to base systems; a recruit can contribute outside combat, but the precise staffing bonuses depend on the current build. Do not transfer a worker blindly if that disables the action you planned.
- Check which room currently needs staff.
- Compare the recruit’s visible trait with your immediate bottleneck.
- Review the team’s equipped fighters before launching a raid.
When roster capacity feels too small
Look for the barracks and recruitment UI before searching for invented character locations. The demo footage includes barracks-related upgrades and recruiting questions but does not establish a complete list of candidate spawn conditions.
- Inspect current recruitment access.
- Review barracks requirements and power.
- Avoid claiming a universal recruit location unless verified for the active version.
Necromancy, the raven and trophy skulls since October 15
The Major Update expanded the necromancer toolkit. A new implant type, Necroskulls, unlocks a second active necromancer ability in the skill tree, and active abilities can also be carried as consumable vials. The Necrotech skill no longer requires an implant. A new raven companion skill adds a shoulder-mounted helper in combat, and trophy skulls hanging from your armor now reflect the Necromatter earned during your last raid.
- Check the skill tree for the second active ability if you run a necromancer.
- Unlock the raven skill for a passive combat companion that perches on the character.
- Re-check Necrotech: the old implant requirement is gone.
Update 0.0.0.827 (October 20): skull rattle and grenade sliding
Trophy skulls attached to armor now rattle with every step and when they knock into each other in the character preview, and the sound can be turned off in the settings during raids. The same patch stops characters sliding across the ground when throwing a grenade while running, ends the glow that stuck to armor repaired during an anti-drone discharge, makes the Uncommon Armor card stop granting enemy armor, and adds a DirectX 11 suggestion on the loading screen after the game closes unexpectedly.
- If the skull rattle gets old mid-raid, it is a settings toggle rather than a mod.
- The DirectX 11 line only appears after a crash — it is advice, not a forced switch.
See the actual demo in action
Demo walkthrough · DaOpa · footage sourced from a publicly available creator video. The video is embedded from YouTube rather than copied into this site.
Official screenshots and source material
For exact menu positions, current item statistics and real in-game appearance, use the developer's official media and game footage. These links open the original material; community artwork is not republished here without permission.