How to beat the Dreadnought in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor

The Dreadnought is the first major boss you encounter in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor. It appears when you reach the final level of the Crystalline Caverns, and it won’t be going down without a fight.

Reaching the Dreadnought could take time, giving you plenty of opportunities to prepare for it. There are a few things you should be doing before you attempt to challenge this boss, which gives you plenty of chances to prepare the arena for the Dreadnought’s arrival. Here’s what you need to know about how to beat the Dreadnought in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor.

How to summon the Dreadnought in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor

You have to destroy the Dreadnought eggs when you reach the final level of the Crystalline Caverns. You can find these eggs scattered throughout the arena, and once destroyed, they hatch an elite enemy you need to eliminate.

After you take out the final Dreadnought egg, it’s time to handle the large one, bringing out the Dreadnought itself. Rather than taking out the eggs, though, you can wait for them to hatch, which you can see on the timeline at the top of your screen. I find it easier to seek them out than wait for them to do it. Although, a good idea is to use this time to prepare for the Dreadnought’s arrival.

You can continue leveling up your dwarf and enhancing their kit before the Dreadnought spawns by removing the swarms of bugs. I find it exceptionally useful to use this time to clear out the large piles of rocks and boulders, as the Dreadnought can easily pin you down at one location and lead at you. The Dreadnought’s leap attack deals a good amount of damage to you, and if you get stuck behind some rocks, it becomes challenging to dodge. I use the time dispatching the Dreadnought eggs to cut down on the debris and prepare for my fight, such as tracking down Red Sugar deposits with my Scout.

How to defeat the Dreadnought in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor

When the Dreadnought spawns, it should be a similar fight to the other elites you fought against on the previous floors in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor. The Dreadnought follows you around the map, damaging you whenever it gets close. However, occasionally, it stops moving and tracks your movement for a few seconds. It then leaps forward at you, potentially stomping you at the end of its leap, doing a significant amount of damage.

This attack is easy to dodge if you have enough room, but if you didn’t spend time mining away the rocks, the Dreadnought might be able to corner you. Similarly, if you didn’t pick any movement-increasing buffs throughout your run, you may have an even harder time dodging this attack.

Beyond preparing for the Dreadnought, you can develop your build to fight it in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor by leaning into weapons that deal Cold damage. You can use Cold damage to slow down enemies; they freeze if they receive enough of this status effect. The same happens to the Dreadnought, and those precious seconds you have to run away from it during an encounter can make or break your run, incredibly close to the finish line.

The Dreadnought is framed as another elite fight outside of the leaping attack. The significant difference is it deals more damage when it hits you. Increasing your movement speed and maximum health are worthwhile upgrades as you work through the Crystalline Caverns, making it more difficult for the Dreadnought to chase you down.