ZeroSpace Survival Mode
ZeroSpace Survival is a cooperative wave-defense mode. Team up with a friend, hold the line against endless Grell assaults, and learn macro under pressure before ranked play.
Hold the line against endless Grell waves
Survival is ZeroSpace's dedicated wave-defense co-op mode, available at Steam Early Access launch on July 20, 2026. You and a partner defend a fixed position against escalating Grell assaults —the symbiotic faction's swarm units, biomass spread, and evolving creatures test whether your economy and hero micro can survive longer than the previous record.
Unlike open skirmish sandboxes, Survival scripts enemy pressure on a timer. Each wave introduces new unit mixes drawn from Grell rosters documented on the faction unit pages. Your persistent hero loadout and mercenary slot carry in, so progression earned in campaign directly strengthens Survival runs —the same weapons, modules, and mercenary actives you plan in the loadout builder apply here.
Survival sits alongside the 10 procedural Galactic War co-op missions as PvE content that does not require alliance queueing. It is ideal for duos who want shared pressure without the strategic map layer of Galactic War Season Zero, which runs through August 2, 2026.
How Survival differs from other PvE modes
Galactic War co-op missions rotate objectives on the ~50-planet seasonal map and feed alliance influence during Season Zero. Survival strips that meta away: one map, one defensive anchor, and a leaderboard driven by wave count and time survived.
- Fixed defensive role — You expand within a constrained zone rather than racing for map control towers across an open battlefield.
- Escalating Grell waves — Enemy compositions intensify predictably, teaching counter-building against swarm, air, and siege variants.
- Two-player focus — Designed for you and one ally; role-split economy lead versus combat lead mirrors successful co-op habits.
- No ranked stakes — Losses do not affect Galactic War ranking or the First Contact Invitational ladder —practice freely.
Campaign missions teach narrative choices and scripted set-pieces; Survival teaches whether your production queue keeps up when there is no pause between assaults. Many launch-week groups run Survival on off-nights while saving Galactic War co-op for alliance pushes.
Loadouts and mercenary picks for Survival
Defensive mercenaries outperform glass-cannon burst setups in early Survival metas. Koru sustain, Marran long-range anchors, and Protectorate shield synergies appear frequently in community high-wave runs. Grell mains can still excel by leaning into biomass traps that punish clumped wave spawns —see the Grell faction guide for creep timing.
Hero abilities that provide area denial —Grace infantry spikes, Hel shield walls, Grinder siege breaks —buy seconds between waves when you need to rebalance workers and production. Avoid mercenary pairings that require long setup windows unless your partner covers expansion during those gaps.
The Survival mode guide breaks down wave-by-wave priorities, and the loadout tier list flags combinations that translate from skirmish to wave defense. Revisit both after balance patches during Early Access.
When to play Survival in your first week
New commanders should complete the how to play guide and win two skirmish matches against medium AI before queuing Survival —you need reliable worker production under stress. After Survival, graduate to Galactic War co-op via the beginner Galactic War guide if you plan to contribute to Season Zero before August 2.
Configure keybindings and QoL settings first; wave modes spike unit counts and ability VFX. Verify hardware on the system requirements page if late waves stutter.
Read the Early Access launch guide for launch-week pricing ($35.99 USD with 10% discount through August 3, 2026) and the full mode roster now live on Steam.