- Void Runners squad guide: Built for duo and full-team raids in the PC PvPvE extraction playtest.
- Role clarity wins: Assign frontline, coverage, and support duties before entering the map.
- Split the risk: Never carry all valuable loot or supplies on a single squad member.
- Extraction discipline: Rotate toward extraction before the whole team is overloaded.
- Read mixed threats: Use AI pressure to reposition instead of committing to bad fights.
Why Squad Coordination Matters in Void Runners
Void Runners is a PC multiplayer PvPvE extraction game from VoidDev Interactive, currently in Early Access playtest. Running with a squad changes the entire risk calculus: you gain firepower, shared supplies, and overlapping vision, but you also become louder, easier to spot, and more tempting as a loot piñata for other teams. A squad that coordinates extracts consistently; a squad that treats the raid as a solo game with extra bodies usually loses everything.
The core trade-off in squad play is mobility versus control. Larger groups control contested areas more easily but move slower, make more noise, and struggle to disengage. Smaller duos are quieter and more flexible but cannot absorb a bad engagement against a full team.
Match your squad size to your objective. Solo and duo runs favor avoid-and-extract strategies; full teams are suited for contesting high-value zones where a fight is expected.
| Squad Size | Strengths | Weaknesses | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Quietest, fastest routing, easy disengage | No backup, must win every fight alone | Low-cost raids, route learning, avoid-and-extract |
| Duo | Good spacing, flexible support, moderate noise | Vulnerable to full teams in open fights | Coordinated exploration, divided roles |
| Full Team | Strong area control, shared supplies, combat depth | Loud, slow, hard to extract together | High-value zones, contested loot routes |
Squad Roles and Loadout Setup
Every effective squad assigns responsibilities before entering. The frontline creates pressure and holds close angles, coverage players protect sightlines at mid range, and support-minded members guard supplies and the extraction route. Weapons, armor, and consumables should be selected together so the squad covers all engagement distances instead of stacking three close-range builds.
Frontline
- Close-range pressure build
- Pushes and holds tight cover
- Initiates when the squad has advantage
- Highest armor investment
Coverage
- Mid-range control build
- Protects angles while others search
- Punishes exposed targets
- Balanced protection and mobility
Support/Extract
- Utility and sustain build
- Carries shared recovery supplies
- Tracks the extraction route
- Preserves escape options
Distribute supplies with limited duplication: split ammunition, healing, and mobility items across members so a single elimination does not strip the squad of a critical resource. Keep the total loadout cost matched to the expected risk, and reserve premium equipment for raids with a clear objective.
| Role | Primary Weapon Fit | Armor Level | Supply Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontline | Close-range pressure | High | Combat consumables, extra ammo |
| Coverage | Mid-range control | Medium | Ammunition, defensive tools |
| Support/Extract | Flexible utility | Medium-low | Recovery items, mobility, navigation |
Avoid putting all valuable loot and healing supplies on one player. If that member is eliminated during the extraction approach, the raid effectively ends for the whole squad.
Squad Raid Flow, Step by Step
Follow this sequence to run a coordinated raid from preparation to extraction. Each phase has a decision point where the squad should reassess whether to continue deeper or rotate out.
Pre-Raid Plan
Confirm squad size, agree on a simple opening objective and route, and decide in advance what the group does if a fight turns unfavorable. Set an extraction threshold before entering.
Loadout Selection
Equip complementary weapon ranges, distribute shared supplies, and match total equipment cost to the planned risk level. Use low-cost setups on unfamiliar routes.
Entry and Exploration
Move with controlled spacing — close enough to support, far enough apart that one engagement does not catch everyone. Search methodically and note your return route toward extraction.
Selective Engagements
Fight only when the engagement protects your route, secures target loot, or creates a clear positional advantage. Break contact when the cost exceeds the reward.
Loot Management
Review inventory as a squad after major encounters. Spread high-value items across members and stop looting when the additional reward no longer justifies the risk.
Extraction Rotation
Begin moving before the team is overloaded. Choose the shortest defensible path, assign someone to watch the rear, and approach the extraction point ready for an ambush.
Reinvest Rewards
After extraction, review which equipment and supplies actually helped, replace only what improves the next raid, and adjust the risk level based on the result.
A modest haul extracted by the full squad is better than a large haul lost on the way out. When threats converge or the return route is compromised, extract immediately.
Handling PvPvE Threats as a Squad
Threat priority in Void Runners depends on the source of danger: AI enemies, other players, or the environment. Squads should assess the number of threats, the value of the objective, available cover, and team condition before committing resources to any fight.
| Threat Type | Priority | Warning Signs | Squad Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Enemies | Situational | Patrol pressure, blocked routes, combat sounds | Fight only when they block the route or guard the objective; avoid attracting more groups |
| Other Players | High | Distant gunfire, opened loot, recent fight signs | Use stealth and alternate routes; engage only with positional, numerical, or information advantage |
| Environmental Hazards | Medium-Critical | Unsafe routes, low visibility, delayed extraction | Reduce exposure, reroute, preserve supplies for the return trip |
| Mixed Encounters | Critical | AI and players converging, compromised extraction | Break contact, reposition using AI pressure as cover, extract with valuable loot |
The most dangerous situation is a mixed encounter: AI enemies pinning the squad while players close in. In these moments, treat AI pressure as a reason to reposition rather than commit, and prioritize disengagement over winning either fight.
Avoid splitting the group during high-risk fights. A divided squad turns every engagement into a series of unfavorable duels, and isolated members are the easiest targets for both AI and player teams.
Route Planning and Zone Risk
Squad route planning should classify map areas by danger and reward before committing. Start from the entry area, decide early whether the run is a quick grab or a deep push, and keep a known extraction route available at all times.
| Zone Type | Resource Value | Danger | Squad Approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Map Entry Area | Initial supplies, low-commitment loot | Low-Medium | Confirm cover and exits, then decide whether to push deeper |
| High-Value Resource Zone | Higher-value contested loot | High | Approach from cover, keep nearest extraction route open |
| Contested Area | Variable, high encounter potential | Very High | Scout first, listen for combat, use alternate paths |
| Extraction Route | None needed | Variable | Shortest defensible path, avoid unnecessary fights |
Begin the return trip before inventory is full. A squad that extracts with time to spare can react to players, AI enemies, and hazards; an overloaded squad cannot.
Use this checklist to keep squad raids disciplined:
Squad Raid Checklist:
- Assign frontline, coverage, and support roles before entering
- Split ammunition, healing, and mobility supplies across members
- Set an extraction threshold and agree on a disengage signal
- Spread high-value loot across the squad after major encounters
- Start the extraction rotation before the team is overloaded
FAQ
Q: What is the best squad size for Void Runners?
There is no single best size. Duos offer flexibility and quiet movement for coordinated exploration, while full teams are stronger for contesting high-value zones. Match squad size to your objective: avoid-and-extract strategies favor smaller groups, and contested loot routes favor full teams.
Q: How should a Void Runners squad distribute loot?
Spread valuable items across all members instead of stacking them on one player. If the carrier is eliminated during the extraction approach, the squad can lose the entire haul. Review inventory together after major encounters.
Q: When should a squad avoid PvP in this squad guide's framework?
Avoid fights that do not protect your route, secure target loot, or create a clear advantage. If the encounter escalates unfavorably — especially in a mixed PvPvE situation — disengage and preserve the raid rather than chasing every contact.
Q: What loadout cost should a new squad use?
Start with low-cost setups while learning routes: replaceable weapons, basic survival supplies, and only the resources a short raid requires. Save premium equipment for raids with a clear objective that justifies the risk.