Ghost Ship Games is bringing back the Ultimate Challenge Invitationals for Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, an esports-style tournament set to headline Copenhagen Gaming Week. The event features top players competing in a custom, high-difficulty build of the bullet heaven roguelike spinoff. Finals are scheduled for February 12 at 15:45 CET, broadcast live on Twitch and YouTube.
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, a single-player spinoff of the co-op FPS series, draws inspiration from bullet heaven roguelikes like Vampire Survivors. Players control dwarves dropping solo into bug-infested missions, kiting swarms, harvesting resources, and leveling up into powerful builds to complete objectives.
The franchise, which began six years ago, has evolved from cooperative shooting to this competitive showcase. Ghost Ship Games, based in Denmark, is hosting the second edition of the Ultimate Challenge Invitationals during Copenhagen Gaming Week, a relatively new convention promoting the Danish gaming scene. The event includes industry showcases for developers like Ghost Ship and IO Interactive, alongside esports, tabletop games, cosplay, and content creators.
In an interview with Rogueliker, Aaron, Ghost Ship's Content Writer, described his role in crafting external communications, in-game texts, and participating in dev streams. Alex, Head of Publishing and Marketing, oversees game success for titles like Deep Rock Galactic and Rogue Core, including publishing support for external developers.
The tournament pits four elite players against a tailor-made build with exclusive difficulty modifiers, created in collaboration with developer Funday. Competitors include OHRye, who has produced 369 YouTube videos on the game; Merkaba18, a former Doctor of Psychology turned full-time gamer; Siirvend, a veteran of the original Deep Rock Galactic; and defending champion Farham.
"Diamonds are created under pressure," the team noted, emphasizing the event's goal to highlight community skill and prove esports potential in any game. Last year's quarterfinals drew 500 live viewers, and the team aims to scale future events, perhaps incorporating speedruns from the original game or in-person gatherings.
The finals promise intense competition, with the team humorously claiming it as the 'greatest esports event in the world.' A recording will be available post-broadcast.
