With the release of the new Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance: Uprising Conquest Mode DLC on the near horizon, we thought it would be a good time to journey back to the world of Terminator for more intel on what to expect.
You can see some of the new content this mode bring on the Steam page here:
Save Game System Update
In the last dev diary, we mentioned the team's decision to limit save functionality in Uprising to reinforce the roguelike feel. However, following player feedback, we've adjusted our approach.
New save options include:
Quick Save Option: Can now be enabled via custom difficulty settings. It’s off by default to preserve the roguelike experience, but available for those who prefer flexibility.
Autosaves: Now trigger every 20 minutes during all missions (not just long or complex ones).
Victory Saves: Completing a mission will now autosave, letting you exit and return later to collect trophies or salvage vehicles.
We hope these updates strike a better balance between challenge and player choice.
Following the Games Story
Although Uprising delivers a more open, roguelike experience, it still follows the storyline we began in the main game and continued with the We Are Legion DLC last year.
In this DLC, you take on the role of an officer tasked with helping build and sustain the rising Resistance, battling against the various factions entrenched in the heartlands of the United States.
Your commanding officer is a returning character—Major Stevens, last seen assisting Lt. Church in the final mission of the base game. From a former military base captured from the Marauders in Alabama, you’ll manage and expand your army, fighting across multiple sectors to reclaim territory from Legion, the Marauders, and the Cartel. You'll also support your Movement allies and decide whether to befriend—or oppose—the enigmatic Integrators.
(The Uprising begins, capturing the Alabama base from the Marauders)
Sectors and the Army Store
Each sector you capture provides unique units to your Army Store. For example:
Capture the Island Sector near your initial base to unlock Bradley tanks.
Take control of the Integrator base on the new Riverside Village map in the north to unlock Integrator Dozers and Technicals.
The composition of your army is shaped not only by what you capture, but by the route you take across the map.
And of course, any vehicles and weapons abandoned on the battlefield can be salvaged for use in your growing force.
Allied Sectors
You can only attack sectors adjacent to ones you already control. However, forming an alliance with a faction—such as the Movement—allows you to use their territory as a bridge to reach new areas.
In one of my playthroughs, for example, this let me link up with Movement forces stationed near the Legion’s main base, opening a path for a full-scale attack with my army.
Legion Deep Raids
Legion can deploy airborne forces using the same carrier technology introduced in the We Are Legion DLC. This enables them to launch Deep Raids, striking even sectors fully surrounded by friendly territory.
That means your main base—or even secondary bases—can come under sudden assault. Defending these becomes critical to surviving the machine onslaught.
Quality of Life improvements
We've made several QoL upgrades across the DLC and the base game. For example:
Training upgrades are now visually indicated directly on unit icons within the army management screen.
You’ll see a small “upgrade available” icon—like this one on the Templarios unit or the Heavy Weapons Squad below.
(Templarios have an available upgrade)
Further Updates
When the DLC releases, development doesn’t stop there. Conquest Mode's open-ended design gives us plenty of room to expand.
Look forward to:
New unit types
Additional mission types
Emerging world events in future updates and DLCs
And Finally
The Uprising DLC is nearly here. Keep an eye out for more info dropping soon—and join the discussion on our official Discord! I’m always there, ready to answer your questions.
Join Discord
And once again, I’ll leave the last words to Major Stevens, returning to lead the fight in Uprising:
“Divided… the machine has us beat. But together…together there is a way forward…if we choose to resist!.”
So, see you on the battlefield soldier very soon, the Uprising is upon us!