DarkSwarm News

A new debut title is coming from Bitfire Games, and it’s reminiscent of Helldivers without Democracy. DarkSwarm is approaching, and closed alpha sign-ups are now open.

It’s not news that Helldivers 2 is immensely popular. With high-octane spectacles reminiscent of being an action hero, Arrowhead unleashed a well-received live service extraction shooting experience last year, and with its port to Xbox arriving this month, it will reach a larger audience than ever before. However, what Bitfire Games is creating with DarkSwarm is similar to the original Helldivers in design, featuring a top-down aesthetic tied to gory visuals and the all-too-familiar brothers-in-arms feeling.

DarkSwarm brings everything fans enjoyed about the original Helldivers, except it brings a tense atmosphere, horrifying visuals, and operators who are only out for cash and not democracy. The latest recruitment trailer for DarkSwarm can be seen below.

Upon announcement of the closed... Read more

[p]
Dear SwarmTroopers, the time has come![/p][p]
We're excited to announce that you can now sign up for the Closed Alpha of DarkSwarm, taking place in September 2025! This will be the first broader public test of the game – and we can't wait to see how you handle the swarm.[/p][p]
Sign up here:

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Over the past few months, a small group of dedicated Discord members have already helped us test early builds of the game. Their feedback has been invaluable – and now we’re ready to expand and open the doors for more players.[/p][p]
What to expect[/p]

• [p]Tense co-op missions[/p]
• [p]Dangerous, swarming enemies[/p]
• [p]Fun, teamwork-driven gameplay[/p]
• [p]Procedurally generated levels[/p]
• [p]Four distinct biomes[/p]
• [p]Customized experience through weapon and character skins[/p]

[p]...and much more[/p][p]
The Closed Alpha is your chance to experience the core of DarkSwarm and help shape its development.[/p][p]We’ll reveal the exact dates, a Closed Alpha FAQ, and a brand-new trailer in August, leading up to our presence at Gamescom.[/p][p]
Spots are limited – so don’t miss your chance to join the fight.[/p][p]
Can’t wait to see you out there!
[/p][p]– The DarkSwarm Team          [/p][p]
[/p]

[p]
Hello SwarmTroopers![/p][p]It’s been a while — but we’ve been deep in the hive, laying the foundation for the next major step in DarkSwarm’s development: the Closed Alpha.[/p][p]Over the past six months, we’ve made massive progress both under the hood and on the surface. From core systems to new content and improved visuals, the game has taken a big leap forward. Here are some of the highlights:
[/p][h2]Total Codebase Refactor[/h2][p]We’ve rewritten most of our core codebase to ensure long-term stability, scalability, and performance. It’s one of those invisible-but-essential upgrades — and we’re incredibly proud of how much cleaner, faster, and more flexible things are now. Future features will be quicker to implement and more robust because of this work.
[/p][h2]
New Procedural Map Generation & Biomes[/h2][p]Since December, you’ve been testing our handcrafted desert map — but that was just the beginning. We’ve now implemented a brand new procedural map generation system powered by seed-based logic and rule-based terrain creation. Every mission will feel fresh and unpredictable.[/p][p]So far, the system supports four unique biomes, each with its own gameplay and visual identity. And we’re not done — more biomes and mission objective variations are already in the pipeline.


[/p][h2]
Aiming Rework & New Weapons[/h2][p]We’ve rebuilt the aiming system from the ground up. You can now target enemies above or below your position with much more precision — adding verticality and intensity to combat.[/p][p]Alongside this, we’ve implemented a new weapon architecture that’s more scalable and easier to balance. And yes, we’ve added new weapons and reworked some existing ones with fresh 3D models — they look and feel awesome.
[/p][p][/p][h2]
Cosmetics for Weapons & Classes[/h2][p]We’ve introduced a full cosmetic system for both weapons and armor. Skins can now be unlocked and equipped via the shop, allowing for a more personalized and expressive experience. Whether you're chasing prestige or just want to look like a badass, there’s something for you here.[/p][h2]

Progression System: XP, Ranks & Unlocks[/h2][p]Replayability is key — and our new progression system brings just that. You’ll earn XP for completing objectives and being a great teammate. As you level up, you’ll unlock:[/p]

• [p]New weapons[/p]
• [p]Cosmetic items[/p]
• [p]Equipment upgrades[/p]
• [p]Additional biomes and mission types[/p]

[p]This system ties everything together and gives real rewards for your time and skill.


[/p][h2]Sound Design & Music[/h2][p]Our audio team has been hard at work. We now have a music system and a dynamic ambience system which allows for custom music and ambience to give each biome their own identity and flavor.[/p][p]We’ve also improved overall sound design, added new voicelines for S.A.R.A. (with cleaner processing), and made countless tweaks and designs that make the game sound more immersive and exciting than ever before.[/p][h2]

New Equipment Screen[/h2][p]The new equipment screen makes it easier to manage your loadout, customize weapons, and explore upgrades. It's a big step toward making the game more rewarding for players of all skill levels. It makes it easier to manage your loadout, customize weapons, and explore upgrades. Preview your weapons with unlocked skins, and invest the credits and data drives won from missions to buy mods to apply to your favorite weapons on a per-class basis.


[/p][h2]Looking Ahead[/h2][p]That’s it for now! We’ve laid down some serious groundwork — and we’re getting closer to our Closed Alpha every day. We can’t wait to show you what’s next. [/p][p]Have a great summer — and remember to keep your rifles loaded and your flashlights charged.[/p][p]Oh by the way, the DarkSwarm Closed Alpha will take place in September. More info about the exact date and how to sign up is coming very soon.

[/p][p]Much love[/p][p]The DarkSwarm Team[/p][p][/p]

Hi Swarmtroopers!

Since our last devlog, we have been working steadily on a bunch of cool new features, and we really hope this will excite you.

[h3]Objectives System UI[/h3]
We hinted at a new Objectives System in our last dev log. Finally it is ready! It brings a greater sense of purpose to the game, and the underlying system is a big milestone for us towards our vision for the game.

[h3]New Animation System[/h3]
We are in the works of creating a new animation setup for the player characters, and we are really excited about the possibilities it will add to the game. It includes a long-desired overhaul to upper/lower body split, updated locomotion and performance improvements. It probably won’t make it into the game in 2024, and you will definitely hear more about it when it’s ready.



[h3]Special Weapons[/h3]
Last devlog was all about the melee weapons, but this time we have something super cool up our sleeve. How about incinerating your foes? How about freezing them and cutting them into pieces? How about throwing gas bombs at your enemies (and your teammates if you aren’t careful)?


Soon our pre-alpha testers will get their hands on these, and we can’t wait to hear your feedback. Please exercise caution when you use them :)

[h3]New Guns[/h3]
Our designers have been wrapping up some nice custom models for guns, and we think they have done an awesome job! We fully intend to replace all existing guns with custom models, and getting there is going to take some time. For now, we have a cool new flamethrower, updated minigun and autoshotgun, an assault rifle, and some other designs currently being worked on.


[h3]New UI[/h3]

It’s finally time to talk about in-game UI! We have all been wanting this, discussing how it should work, and we have decided to remove the existing player HUD widgets (name, health bar, ammo status), and replace them with something that looks better and is more readable. The people at Death On Demand have heard your pleas, and you will be expected to perform 300% better by the end of the year.

[h3]Stealth Gameplay[/h3]
Strides have been made with the stealth mechanics in our game. This is something we don’t want to rush, since it affects so many aspects of the core gameplay. Enemies should react more intelligently to players sneaking around, but make too much noise and they might spot you and alert their friends. So better pull out the katana and slice them up before it is too late.



You can sneak your way to the reactor if you so desire, but be aware that you have to go back the same way. On the other hand, an aggravated swarm is also the perfect opportunity to exercise the trigger finger. :)

[h3]The Spill[/h3]
We wanted to send out special thanks to all of you who watched the spill and decided to wishlist DarkSwarm on Steam, and those of you who make our Discord feel alive. A huge thank you to Snutt, Satisfactory team, and the entire Coffee Stain family for being such kind and helpful hosts!




[h3]For the pre-alpha testers[/h3]
We are working hard every day so that you can get your hands on the best possible game, and we ask that you continue to play the game, have patience with the bugs that are always part of game development, and provide us feedback whenever you spot something you think can be improved. We are always listening!

‘Till next time,
The DarkSwarm Team ✌️

Hello SwarmTroopers!

We've been hard at work on the game and wanted to share some of our awesome new features with you.

[h3]New Objectives System:[/h3]
We are actively working on a new Mission Objectives System, which enables our designers to create interesting missions with a lot of variance and randomness. It’s something we plan to expand upon moving forward. Screenshots will follow in the very near future!

[h3]Many stability improvements and crash fixes:[/h3]
Towards increasing stability of the game, and preparing ourselves for the transition out of pre-alpha stage during 2025, we have been fixing a lot of crash/stability issues in the background. Hopefully, you will all experience a more stable playing experience, no matter if you prefer mouse and keyboard, controller, or maybe are on SteamDeck.

[h3]Player Occlusion Masking[/h3]
Tired of not being able to see your character or an enemy nearby, because a wall is in front of you? We have been working on a new “player occlusion masking” shader effect, which will let you see through walls when they are in front of you:


This is a first iteration of how it’s expected to look. It feels more intuitive, and we’ll keep on improving it over time.

[h3]Melee weapons[/h3]
A recent addition to the game is melee weapons. Their primary role is to support the (in the works) stealth gameplay with close up melee kills to avoid detection, as well as provide combat capability to conserve ammunition in tight situations with fast or charged heavy attacks.


We also have some really cool new sounds and animation being designed for all melee weapons. It’s not done yet for all the melee weapons, but having a “slash” here and there definitely lifts up the gameplay. Each character class has its own unique melee weapon, and more of them may show up in the future :)

[h3]Procedurally generated “alien goo” in levels[/h3]
There’s a lot of new alien goo and other disgusting splatter being integrated into the levels:


It will give level designers more freedom, and it is slowly starting to feel more like you are walking in places really infested by aliens. Some of it will be interactive for players, and we are currently working out the details on how that should work. The goal is to make the hive infested areas feel alive and super creepy!


[h3]Stealth gameplay early work[/h3]
We are working on some awesome new stealth gameplay mechanics, and will definitely share more details about it when we feel it’s ready. Safe to say though, it involves sneaking - and then we haven’t even said too much!


Much Love,
The DarkSwarm Team ✌️