Getting Started with RIFTSTORM

RIFTSTORM is live in Steam Early Access as of August 11, 2026. Confiction Labs and Agate’s online co-op PvE looter-shooter ARPG drops squads of up to three Weavers into rift-torn zones where you fight, loot, upgrade in-mission, and extract before pressure overwhelms you. This guide orients day-one and week-one players: who you play as, how account progression works, what to fix if performance stutters after the tutorial, and what a typical run looks like from lobby to extract.

What RIFTSTORM is (and is not)

Think of RIFTSTORM as a structured co-op ARPG with looter-shooter gunplay and extraction-lite stakes. You keep extracted loot when you succeed, but a failed extract can scar weapons you brought into the mission—a negative modifier, not a deletion of your entire account. The game is always online; there is no offline solo campaign. Sessions start in a Steam Lobby where you or a friend shares invite codes so your trio can enter PADDOCK Contingency missions together.

The official gameplay preview trailer embedded on this page shows Weaver abilities and zone combat. The separate Steam demo (app 3212570) still works as a training room, but Early Access is where persistent Forge Center and Periapt progression live.

Video guide

First-hour checklist (launch week)

1. Install on an SSD if possible—see System Requirements.
2. If FPS collapses after the tutorial, set Thread Count to 2 in Settings—details in Performance Settings.
3. Read Controls and create a Steam Lobby via How to Co-op.
4. Start PADDOCK at Threat 1 even if demo experience makes you feel ready for more.
5. Skim Weapon Scarring before bringing your best crafted primary into risky pushes.

Early Access Weavers

Five Weavers ship in Early Access: Rook, Starling, Hertz, Botsy, and Caracal. Each fills a different combat role—tankiness, burst damage, support buffs, deployables, or mobility—and your squad usually wants complementary picks rather than three clones. Launch reviews note the second Weaver unlocks after roughly 90 minutes to two hours of onboarding; plan your first main accordingly.

Spend early hours learning one Weaver deeply. Periapt upgrades and Forge Center crafts multiply whatever kit you master.

Periapt: meta progression between runs

Periapt is RIFTSTORM’s persistent meta progression layer—account-wide upgrades that survive whether a single mission succeeds or fails. Materials you extract feed Periapt nodes that improve baseline stats, unlock crafting recipes, or open higher Threat Levels and Rift Exposure Zones. Unlike Lythograms, which are temporary in-mission choices, Periapt investments define your long-term ceiling.

Forge Center: craft, salvage, and gear maintenance

The Forge Center is your hub-side crafting and salvage station. Break down duplicates, craft weapons and mods, and repair scarred gear after failed extracts. Salvage aggressively while drop tables settle in early EA patches.

The mission loop: lobby to extract

1. Lobby — Host creates a Steam Lobby; friends join via invite or lobby codes.
2. Mission select — Choose PADDOCK or appropriate content. Note Threat Level and Exposure hotspots.
3. Deploy — Clear encounters, pick loot, spend Lythogram choices.
4. Extract — Stand in an extract zone (~15 seconds in live EA) to bank loot; early exits keep secured loot but may skip completion rewards.
5. Hub — Spend resources at Forge Center and Periapt.

Co-op expectations

Read How to Co-op in RIFTSTORM for lobby steps. Communication beats raw gear score—call elites, mark extracts, agree who carries sustain. Two-player groups should under-tier Threat until Periapt catches up.

When you are ready to push further

After Threat 1 comfort:

• How to Extract — Risk calls and carrier discipline
• Mythic Resources Farming — Elite reset loops for crafting mats
• Combat Power — Mission gear gates
• Roadmap — Armory Update and future Weavers

RIFTSTORM is a living Early Access game—expect patch notes, balance changes, and new mission types. This frame—Weaver role, Periapt path, Forge rhythm, extract discipline—stays stable even when numbers move.