Phase 12 Is Live
This is the biggest content drop in Starforge MMO history.
Phase 12 introduces three entirely new ship classes, thirty new equipment modules, twenty-four technology tree nodes, and a complete overhaul of the drone system. If you have been waiting to return to the galaxy, this is the moment. If you have never left, brace yourself — everything you thought you knew about fleet doctrine is about to change.
Let's break it down.
---
New Ship Classes
Dreadnoughts: The Galaxy-Class Warship
Dreadnoughts are the answer to a question our most experienced fleet commanders have been asking for months: what comes after a Battleship?
The answer is something that makes a Battleship look like a frigate.
Dreadnoughts carry the highest hull point totals ever seen in Starforge — the baseline Titan Dreadnought (Terran Federation) enters combat with 24,000 hull points and a shield buffer of 8,000. For context, a fully-fitted Tier-5 Battleship maxes out at 9,500 hull. Dreadnoughts are not a balance tweak; they are a new tier of conflict.
Each faction has its own Dreadnought hull with distinct characteristics:
- Titan Dreadnought (Terran Federation) — Maximum durability, heavy siege weapons, built to hold a battle line indefinitely
- Void Colossus (Void Syndicate) — Lower hull than the Titan but equipped with a Capital-grade Phase Cloak and Shadow Torpedo bays capable of eliminating a Battleship in a single coordinated strike
- Solar Sovereign (Solar Empire) — The highest sustained energy DPS of any ship in the game, with an integrated Plasma Lance that pierces shield layers entirely on the first hit
Dreadnoughts require Tier-6 Shipyard infrastructure and a completed Dreadnought Hull Research chain (12 nodes, approximately 4-6 days of research for an optimised tech tree). They are not something a new player deploys in week one — they are the endgame statement of a mature, established commander.
Capital Class: The Command Ship
Between Battleship and Dreadnought sits the new Capital class — a designation that covers command ships, fleet carriers operating at Capital scale, and logistics platforms. Capital ships provide fleet-wide buffs that no other class can replicate. The Starforge Citadel is the flagship Capital hull: a command platform that grants all allied ships within sensor range a 30% combat effectiveness boost, deploys autonomous repair platforms, and serves as a mobile resupply station for long-range operations.
The Citadel is not a weapon. It is the ship that makes every other ship in your fleet more dangerous.
Carrier Expansion: Full Drone Integration
Standard Carriers have been upgraded. Phase 12 brings Capital-class Carrier hulls with double the drone bay capacity of previous versions, and the drone system has been rebuilt from the ground up to support the new drone types introduced this phase.
---
30 New Modules
Phase 12 adds thirty new equipment modules across all slot types. Highlights include:
Capital Siege Cannon — A Weapon Slot module exclusive to Dreadnoughts and Capital ships. Fires once every 6 rounds but delivers 3,800 base damage — nearly triple the output of the previous highest-tier weapon module.
Quantum Shield Projector — A Shield Slot module that generates a secondary shield layer absorbing the first critical hit received each combat encounter, regardless of damage value. Pairs devastatingly well with the Titan Dreadnought's already-imposing durability.
Adaptive Armour Plating — An Armour Slot module that increases its mitigation percentage as hull points drop. At full health it provides 12% damage reduction; at 25% hull it provides 32%. Rewards commanders who hold the line rather than retreating when damaged.
Graviton Pulse Engine — An Engine Slot module for Dreadnoughts that compensates for their enormous mass, giving them surprising repositioning speed for their class. Previously, Dreadnoughts were stationary once committed — this changes that.
The full module list, including stats and research prerequisites, is available in the in-game Encyclopedia under the Phase 12 tab.
---
New Drone Types
The drone roster has expanded significantly. Four new drone types enter the game this phase:
Lightning Striker — A fast-attack drone optimised for hit-and-run strikes against individual targets. Highest single-round damage of any drone type; extremely fragile.
EMP Pulse Drone — Does not deal hull damage. Instead, it disables the target ship's module slots for 2 rounds, preventing weapon fire, shield regeneration, and engine use. Single EMP Pulse Drone disabling a Battleship's weapons for two rounds represents an enormous tactical swing.
Siege Hammer — A slow, heavily armoured drone designed to absorb incoming fire while delivering sustained damage to stations and defensive installations. Essential for siege operations.
Phantom Interceptor — The centrepiece of Phase 12's drone system. The Phantom Interceptor is a stealth-capable drone available exclusively through Tier-50 of the Battle Pass. It combines strike-fighter speed with phase-cloak capability, making it undetectable until it fires. There is currently no reliable counter to a coordinated Phantom Interceptor swarm — we fully expect the community to develop doctrine around both using and countering them over the coming weeks.
---
24 New Technologies
The technology tree has grown by 24 nodes distributed across four new research branches:
- Capital Warfare Doctrine (8 nodes) — Unlocks Dreadnought and Capital class shipbuilding, Capital-grade modules, and fleet command bonuses
- Advanced Drone Operations (6 nodes) — Unlocks Tier-4 and Tier-5 drone types including the Lightning Striker and EMP Pulse Drone
- Quantum Engineering (5 nodes) — Unlocks the Quantum Shield Projector, Graviton Pulse Engine, and advanced sensor arrays
- Deep Space Logistics (5 nodes) — Expands supply chain capacity, Capital Carrier drone bay upgrades, and long-range resupply platforms
Research times range from 6 hours (early Capital Warfare nodes) to 36 hours (final-tier Capital Warfare Doctrine unlocks). Plan your research queue carefully — Phase 12 content is gated behind these nodes, and the commanders who prioritise research now will have a significant advantage in the weeks ahead.
---
What's Next
Phase 12 launches today across all servers. In the next two weeks, we are rolling out:
- The first Dreadnought Fleet Tournament — a structured alliance vs. alliance event with exclusive cosmetic rewards for the top three alliances
- Sector Zero — a new deep-space region accessible only to commanders with at least one Capital-class ship, featuring the highest-value resource deposits in the game and aggressive Tier-7 pirate factions
- Balance Pass 12.1 — We are watching the Phantom Interceptor and Void Colossus particularly closely. Expect tuning within the first two weeks based on live data.
The galaxy just got a lot more dangerous. We cannot wait to see what you build.
— Starforge Team