- This Void Runners beginner guide covers the full PvPvE extraction loop from entry to extraction.
- Risk management matters more than winning fights in your first raids.
- Extract early: a modest haul extracted beats a full inventory lost near the exit.
- Low-cost loadouts are the safest way to learn maps while the playtest evolves.
- Threat priority: identify AI, players, and hazards before committing to any fight.
Void Runners Core Loop: What New Players Must Know
Void Runners is a PC multiplayer PvPvE extraction game developed by VoidDev Interactive, currently in Early Access playtest. A raid is a risk-and-reward cycle: you enter with equipment, explore the map, gather resources, survive hostile AI and other players, and attempt to reach an extraction point with your haul. Losing before extraction means losing what you carried.
| Core Concept | What It Means | Beginner Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Extraction | Raid succeeds only when you leave through an extraction point | ★★★★★ |
| PvPvE | Both AI enemies and player teams share the map | ★★★★★ |
| Loot risk | Carried items are lost if you die before extracting | ★★★★ |
| Resource cost | Ammo, healing, and gear are spent every raid | ★★★★ |
| Loadout economy | Match equipment value to the risk you accept | ★★★ |
Explore
- Move through the map searching for resources
- Use cover and controlled movement
- Keep an extraction route in mind
Fight
- Engage only with a positional or resource advantage
- Treat AI fights as potential player signals
- Disengage when the cost is too high
Extract
- Leave before resources run out
- Approach extraction ready for ambushes
- Reinvest rewards into future raids
A successful run is defined by what you extract, not how long you stay inside the map or how many enemies you defeat. Judge every fight by whether it improves your raid.
Step-by-Step: Your First Raid
Follow this sequence to build a repeatable raid routine that protects your resources while you learn the maps.
Prepare Before Entering
Choose starting equipment you can afford to lose, keep your objective simple, and enter with a clear plan for gathering, fighting, and extracting. Do not commit your best gear while learning routes.
Read the Map on Entry
Observe nearby routes, enemy activity, and loot before moving aggressively. The opening moments are for identifying safe movement and likely danger areas. Avoid unnecessary noise and exposure.
Search for Resources
Explore methodically instead of wandering. Prioritize useful resources over random items, review your inventory regularly, and start planning extraction as soon as your haul becomes valuable.
Handle AI Enemies Carefully
Fight only when AI blocks your route or guards an essential objective. Use cover and controlled engagements, account for ammo and healing spent, and treat enemy activity as a sign players may be near.
Choose PvP Fights Selectively
Assess health, ammo, armor, position, and loot value before engaging other players. If the encounter becomes unfavorable, disengage and preserve the raid instead of chasing every sound.
Extract and Leave
Plan your route before the final move, check the extraction area for ambushes, and stay alert until extraction fully completes. Begin the return trip before your inventory is full.
Do not wait until resources are exhausted before leaving. A modest haul successfully extracted is always better than a large haul lost on the way out.
PvPvE Threat Assessment
Every encounter in Void Runners requires a fast threat decision. The safest response is not always to attack — evaluate threat count, objective value, cover, and squad condition first.
| Threat Type | Priority | Warning Signs | Recommended Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Enemies | Situational | Patrols, blocked routes, combat sounds | Use cover, break line of sight; fight only when route or objective requires it |
| Other Players | High | Gunfire, opened loot, missing resources | Assume fast escalation; use stealth or alternate routes unless you hold an advantage |
| Environmental Hazards | Medium–Critical | Unsafe routes, limited visibility, delays | Reduce exposure time, reroute when risk outweighs reward |
| Mixed Encounters | Critical | AI and players converging, compromised exit | Break contact, reposition, extract immediately with valuable loot |
Fight When
- You hold positional or numerical advantage
- The fight protects your route or loot
- You have enough resources to finish it
Avoid When
- The objective is optional
- Multiple threats are converging
- Your escape route is compromised
When AI pressure and player teams overlap, use the chaos to reposition rather than commit. Extract immediately if your team carries valuable loot without a reliable advantage.
Route Planning and Extraction Timing
Void Runners rewards deliberate route planning. Identify nearby resource points, choose a route that limits exposure, and keep an extraction option in mind before committing to deeper areas.
| Map Area | Resource Value | Danger Level | Extraction Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Area | Initial supplies, low-commitment loot | Low–Medium | Extract early if the start area provides enough value or you lack healing and ammo |
| High-Value Zone | Higher-value contested loot | High | Leave after securing the target unless you hold a clear advantage |
| Contested Area | Variable resources | Very High | Abandon the route when threats converge or the exit is blocked |
| Extraction Route | No extra loot needed | Variable | Begin the return before inventory is full so you can react to threats |
When inventory value is high, threats increase, or the return route becomes unsafe, prioritize extraction over additional loot. Every extra minute inside is added risk.
Beginner Loadouts and Progression
Match your loadout cost to your experience level and raid objective. The game is in Early Access playtest, so balance and item availability may shift between updates.
| Build Type | Best For | Core Idea |
|---|---|---|
| Low-Cost Starter | New players, learning routes | Replaceable gear, short raids, extract early |
| Standard Raid | Regular solo/duo play | Balanced protection and supplies for selective fights |
| Solo Mobility | Solo entrants | Preserve escape options, avoid prolonged fights |
| Duo Support | Two-player teams | Split supplies, hold angles for each other |
| High-Risk High-Reward | Experienced players | Higher investment, clear extraction threshold |
Starter Setup
- Reliable general-purpose weapon
- Basic survival consumables
- Replaceable armor only
Standard Setup
- Flexible primary for expected range
- Combat and recovery supplies
- Resources reserved for extraction
Aggressive Setup
- High-performance primary
- Full combat package
- Set a hard extraction threshold
A sustainable cycle comes from extracting consistently, not chasing maximum loot every raid. Review which equipment was most useful, replace only what improves the next run, and adjust risk based on results.
First 5 Raid Goals:
- Complete a raid using only a low-cost loadout
- Learn one extraction route without fighting
- Extract early with a modest haul at least once
- Disengage from an unfavorable PvP encounter
- Reinvest rewards into a repeatable standard loadout
FAQ
Q: What is the goal of a Void Runners raid?
The goal is to enter the map, gather resources and loot, survive AI enemies and other players, and reach an extraction point. The raid only counts as successful when extraction completes — anything you carry is lost if you die first.
Q: Should beginners fight other players?
Not by default. Engage only when you hold a positional, numerical, or informational advantage. If an encounter turns unfavorable, disengage and preserve the raid — the loot you extract is worth more than a risky kill.
Q: When should I stop looting and extract?
Start heading out as soon as your haul becomes valuable, your resources run low, or the return route becomes unsafe. Approaching an extraction point with a full inventory and no ammo is how most beginner raids end badly.
Q: What loadout should a new player use?
Begin with a low-cost starter build: a reliable general-purpose weapon, basic consumables, and replaceable armor. Save premium resources for raids with a clear objective once you know the maps and extraction routes.