Frequently Asked
Questions

Rooted is a post-apocalyptic survival game currently in development, supported by an active community and wishlisted by over 1 million players on Steam.

The Story: In the near future (~2100), a devastating global war brought civilization to its knees. Countries collapsed, and survivors now fight for resources. You play as one of these survivors, 20 years after the apocalypse, in a world where nature has begun to reclaim the ruins.

The Gameplay: Explore a vast open world featuring forests, abandoned villages, and a large contaminated city. Rooted focuses on surviving, exploring, scavenging and building. Play solo or with friends in co-op.

Early Access is planned for 2027 on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store).

For the full development roadmap, check out our Timeline page.

Our priority is to release the game on PC. We want to bring Rooted to consoles after the full release (post-Early Access), but it's impossible to give a date at this time.

The PC version will always come first because the Alpha/Beta/Early Access process is easier to manage on PC. Full controller support is being developed to facilitate future porting.

The Early Survivor pledge at €16.50 is the best way to secure the game at a lower price than it will cost at release. This pledge gives you access to Early Access and the full game.

By pledging now, you support the development while getting the game at a reduced price compared to the final release price.

Many languages will be supported at release. Until Early Access, the game is primarily in English to simplify development.

Full localization will be added progressively, with languages prioritized based on the community.

Our absolute priority is PvE in Solo and Co-op. PvP will come after the full release (post-Early Access), once the PvE/Co-op mode is stable and well-rated on Steam.

Why is PvP delayed?

• PvP requires powerful dedicated servers and robust anti-cheat
• These investments represent significant financial risks for a small team
• The team prefers to create a solid foundation first

PvP will be on specific versions of the map because the world evolves differently in PvE. In the meantime, friendly fire is available as an option when creating a server, already allowing a form of "free" PvP and role-playing.

Important: Many players believe Rooted will be a "new Rust/DayZ/SCUM." This is not the initial focus. However, the team designs the game with PvP in mind to avoid having to rebuild everything later.

No, there are no zombies. The team wanted to offer something different. You will face:

• Humans: Other hostile survivors who want your resources (advanced AI)
• Animals: Can be useful for hunting, but some may be dangerous or even infected
• Robots: Boston Dynamics style, 2080 technology (the lore includes ROTOR Corporation which supplied robots to police/armies)

Robot Lore: Before the apocalypse, ROTOR Corporation dominated energy, high technology and defense. They sold law enforcement robots to governments. These robots still roam 20 years later.

Yes, you don't need to be connected to the internet to play solo.

Sessions currently accommodate up to 6 players in co-op. The player count may increase in future updates, with dedicated servers planned for later.

At launch (Early Access), servers will be hosted by players (listen server, similar to The Forest or Green Hell).

Files for community dedicated servers are planned during Early Access. Official servers are a possibility considered after full release, but this depends on available resources.

Yes, this option is available when creating a server. The server list indicates whether friendly fire is enabled or not before joining.

We've talked a lot about map size in the past, but what really matters is what you can do in it. Our focus is on making every area meaningful and the experience as immersive as possible.

The map will grow as you progress through the game, unlocking new zones and challenges. We're committed to delivering a world that feels alive and worth exploring.

You start in the forest (uncontaminated zone) where you can create your camp, hunt, fish and farm.

You then progress toward villages and remnants of civilization.

Finally, you approach the city, still contaminated and difficult to access. You need protective equipment to enter it progressively.

Rooted is a survival/exploration/building game, halfway between The Last of Us (post-apocalyptic atmosphere) and DayZ/Rust (survival mechanics). Closer to Grounded, The Forest or Green Hell than to Far Cry or Fallout.

It's NOT:

• An RPG with tons of NPCs and cinematics
• An MMO with hundreds of players
• A story-driven game with narrative missions
• A zombie game

There's an "open lore" you can follow or ignore, based on exploration and discovery. No quest-giving NPCs (all dead for 20 years). You discover the story through:

• Journals
• Audio recordings (with voice actors)
• Personal objects
• Environmental storytelling

Yes! Modding support is planned. You will also be able to share your builds via the Steam Workshop.

Three categories:

• Classic weapons: Found and salvaged
• Futuristic weapons: Advanced technology (2080)
• Homemade weapons: Crafted by the player

The game takes place in the USA but global war and black market mean you'll find weapons from around the world.

Combat animations were recorded in motion capture (November 2022).

Yes, according to your sewing skills and what you find during exploration.

Yes, the building system has been available since Alpha Phase 2. It has 2 main axes:

1. Classic camp building: Modular system to create your own base
2. Securing existing locations: Houses, apartments, offices

Features:

• No grid: Free rotation possible (not limited to 45/90°)
• Progressive securing: Wooden planks at first → police/army equipment later
• Philosophy: "If the apocalypse happens, do we live in a dirty cabin or build something better with time/resources/knowledge?"
• Steam Workshop: Planned for sharing your blueprints
• Cabin Founder: Special blueprint using unique assets, not reproducible in-game

Yes. You can have bases in different buildings in the city. Game variables may force you to stay in the city for long periods (you can't always return to the forest camp).

Yes. Confirmed with:

• Full day/night cycles
• Weather (rain, storms)
• Seasons: Basic (temperature impact) to advanced (visual changes) depending on goals achieved
• Wind: Procedural tree movement planned

Yes, it's the player's choice. But the night is designed to be engaging:

• Listening to records
• Placing decorations
• Organizing inventory
• Fear element: Important for survival atmosphere
• Solar flashlight: No need to search for batteries after each death

Check our System Requirements page for detailed minimum and recommended specs.

Important: The Alpha is not optimized yet. A recent, high-end PC is recommended to enjoy smooth gameplay during development.

Unreal Engine 5

Rooted uses modern Unreal Engine 5 technologies:

• DLSS + Frame Generation: For NVIDIA GPUs
• FSR: For AMD GPUs
• Nanite: High-detail geometry streaming
• Lumen: Dynamic global illumination

Both! The game will be available on Steam and Epic Games Store. Rooted supports mandatory crossplay (Epic Games requirement), you can play with your friends regardless of their platform.

Where you'll play Rooted:

• Alpha & Beta: Steam Playtest (free Steam feature for testing)
• Early Access & Release: Epic Games Store (your permanent copy)

Why Epic for the final game? Our Steam crowdfunding keys are exhausted. All pledges now include an Epic Games Store key for the full game.

Prefer Steam? You'll be able to purchase Rooted directly on Steam when Early Access launches. Crossplay between Steam and Epic is supported.

Controller support is under development but not yet 100% functional, especially for menus. It will be improved once the game is more stable.

This work also facilitates future console porting.

Yes, on rootedthegame.com/pledge as long as keys are available.

Yes, on the website. You only pay the difference between the two tiers.

Example: Early Survivor (€16.50) to The Lone Wolf (€55.00) = €38.50 to pay.

Yes! Here's how:

1. Select & Purchase: Choose and pay for the pledge of your choice
2. Access Your Pledges: Go to your pledges in your account
3. Send the Gift: Use the gift form to send to your friend's email
4. Instant Delivery: They receive a redeem code that transfers the pledge instantly

Payments are securely processed via Stripe. You can pay with credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other payment methods depending on your region.

You have a 14-day right of withdrawal, provided that the digital content has not begun. Downloading, activating, or accessing a digital key constitutes the beginning of supply and results in the loss of the right of withdrawal.

Once a key has been activated or any digital content accessed, no refund can be issued.

For more details, see our Terms of Sale.

Two ways:

1. Pledge Lone Wolf (€55) or higher → instant guaranteed access
2. Register on the site → free invitations are sent in waves: rootedthegame.com/join-alpha

Important: Free registration is only a chance, not a guarantee. With 133,500+ players waiting, we select testers in small invitation waves. The wait can take weeks or months.

No! The Alpha is a very early version intended for people who want to follow the video game creation process. Many features are missing, graphics are not finalized, and there are bugs.

Team quote: "The Alpha is not made for people who want to play the game earlier, it's made for people who want to test it and discover glitches."

• Alpha (current): Testing basic features, 4 phases, under NDA
• Beta: More stable version, more content, 4 phases as well
• Early Access: Public version on Steam/Epic, playable but not finished
• Release: Final 1.0 version

Yes. You cannot stream, share screenshots or discuss Alpha content publicly. The NDA will be lifted at a later time (probably Beta or Early Access).

What you CAN share: Anything that's in public Discord channels.

Invitations are sent periodically:

• During Discord contests
• In invitation waves among site registrations
• When new phases launch

Not at this time (NDA). The team plans to lift this restriction soon.

1. Log in on rootedthegame.com
2. Go to your Profile page
3. Click the "Link Discord" button
4. Authorize the connection with your Discord account
5. Your roles are assigned automatically within a few minutes

Once linked, your Discord avatar will appear on your profile and your Founder role will be synced to the official Discord server.

To simplify moderation and allow everyone to participate in discussions. Multilingual channels are being considered for Early Access.

Anything shared in public Discord channels can be shared.

Content from Alpha channels (under NDA) cannot be shared.

Headlight Studio, an independent French studio based near Montpellier.

The studio was founded by Mathieu Pascal, active in the Unreal Engine community since 2018.

More than a dozen people participated in creating the prototype. The game has now entered production phase with a talented team, extremely motivated and passionate about creating the best possible experience in Rooted.

Creating a quality survival game takes years, even for established studios. Here are some examples:

• The Forest: 4 years in Early Access (2014-2018)
• Rust: 4+ years in Early Access (2013-2018)
• DayZ: 5 years in Early Access (2013-2018)
• Valheim: 4 years of development (2017-2021) before Early Access, still in Early Access today with 1.0 planned for 2026

Rooted received much more attention than initially expected, which motivated the team to expand the scope and deliver a more complete experience. Good things take time, and we prefer to do it right rather than rush it.

Use our contact form to reach the team directly.

Check our jobs page for current openings. The team occasionally recruits for specific positions.

Many scam sites copy Rooted's official website to steal your payment information. The only official website is rootedthegame.com.

Tips to stay safe:

• Check the URL carefully before entering any payment info
• Verify links through the official Steam page
• Never buy through Discord DMs
• We will never ask for your game keys

Found a suspicious site? Report it to us. We manually verify each report and submit them to Google Safe Browsing, domain registrars, and hosting providers. Most fraudulent sites are removed within 24-72 hours.

No, Rooted is 100% legitimate. Here's why you can trust us:

• A playable Alpha has been available since 2023
• The team has been transparent about development since day 1
• Regular patch notes are published
• An identifiable team communicates daily on Discord
• Regular Q&As are organized with the community

However, beware of fake websites! Many scam sites copy our official website to steal your money. The only official website is rootedthegame.com.

How to protect yourself:

• Only trust rootedthegame.com
• Check the URL carefully (scammers use similar-looking domains)
• Never share your game keys
• We don't sell through Discord DMs

If you find a suspicious website, report it to us. We verify each report, submit them to Google Safe Browsing and hosting providers, and most fraudulent sites are taken down within 24-72 hours.