ARDEM FAQ: the clearest answers the current evidence allows

Most asked questions

What is ARDEM?

Current

ARDEM is the open-world survival MMO Techtive Games says it is building in Minnowa after the RHAB-14 outbreak. Current material describes solo, co-op and multiplayer survival built around exploration, bases, electricity, vehicles, territory and a persistent world. “MMO” is the developer's term; the practical server size currently advertised is up to 64 players. A01 A02

Who is making ARDEM?

Current

Techtive Games, an independent German studio. The current Steam page lists Techtive as both developer and publisher. A02 A03

When is ARDEM coming out?

Current target, not exact date

Steam currently lists 2026 for Early Access. No exact date is announced, and Techtive says the October public test will show how much work remains and set the date. A02 A22

Is ARDEM in Early Access now?

No

It is listed as coming to Early Access and is not currently released on Steam. A02

When is the ARDEM public playtest?

Confirmed schedule

15 October 2026 on PC. A04

Techtive says the public test will be open to everyone, with no invite or waitlist, although its page asks players to sign in and apply. Detailed access, timing, build-scope and streaming answers are maintained on the Protocol: The Outbreak playtest hub. A04

Does the October playtest set the Early Access date?

Developer-stated planning gate

Techtive says the public test will show how much work remains and set the Early Access date. That does not mean a date has already been selected, that the test is the Early Access build or that the date will be announced immediately afterwards. A22

Can ARDEM be played solo?

Current product feature

Steam lists single-player, alongside online co-op and PvP. A02

Does ARDEM have co-op?

Current product feature

Steam lists online co-op. Current product descriptions also say players can survive alone or with friends. A02

Is PvP forced?

Current product direction: no universal forced PvP

Techtive currently advertises PvE, PvP and RP server choices. The exact server presets/rules remain unclear. A01 A02

How many players are on a server?

Advertised: up to 64

Detailed product material advertises servers of up to 64 players. The homepage hero also uses “64+ Player Servers”; Sourceborne retains the more precise up-to-64 baseline and records the discrepancy. A01 A02

Is ARDEM an MMO?

Current developer positioning

Yes in Techtive's current terminology: the official site calls ARDEM an open-world survival MMO. That establishes how the developer positions the game, not an independent judgement about its architecture or scale. The practical server size currently advertised is up to 64 players rather than one single massive shared world. A01 A02

Is the world persistent?

Developer-described; rules unverified

Techtive advertises a 24/7 persistent world that continues to evolve while players are offline. It has not yet explained wipe policy, restart/update behaviour, offline base protection or exactly which world changes persist. A01

Can players claim territory?

Current developer positioning

Techtive says players can claim territory. The claim process, permissions, conflict rules and offline protection still need public-build documentation. A01

Does ARDEM have a reputation system?

Developer-described; implementation unverified

Techtive says player reputation is “permanent” and that choices have consequences. Current material does not explain whether that means a formal score, a social label, a server record or some combination, nor how wipes and resets affect it. A01

How big is ARDEM's map?

Current developer position: 64 km² / 25 mi²

Techtive describes Minnowa as a 64 km² handcrafted world and says the terrain will expand over time. A01

Is the map procedurally generated?

No, according to Techtive

The current official site says the world is fully handcrafted with no procedural generation. A01

What locations are known?

Current / WIP

Current first-party material establishes Albington, the Claypit, Summer Camp and military-area work, alongside towns, gas stations, diners, shopping malls, a motel, checkpoints, bunkers, caves, farms, barns/sheds, industrial spaces and hidden areas. A01 A06 A07 A08 A09 A22

Does ARDEM have base building?

Developer-claimed core system

Yes. Steam's Early Access disclosure includes base building among the core systems Techtive says are working together. A02

Can you use electricity?

Developer-claimed core system

Yes. Current material describes fuel generators, wind and solar power and gives examples such as lights, doors and powered/security equipment. A01 A02

Are there vehicles?

Developer-claimed core system

Yes. Techtive describes finding, repairing, maintaining and modifying vehicles. A01 A02

Is there farming and crafting?

Developer-claimed core systems, still being expanded

Steam lists both in the core system set. Recent posts show farming growth stages and crafting content still being developed. A02 A06 A11

Is there character creation?

Work in progress

Techtive has shown a substantial character editor with body and facial customisation. It remains under development. A10

Is ARDEM first-person or third-person?

Developer plan supports both

The pinned officer-maintained Steam FAQ says players are intended to switch between first- and third-person views and that some servers may restrict a perspective. Steam also currently shows both as user-defined tags. Treat this as the present design intent rather than independent public-build verification. A13 A02

Will ARDEM be on PlayStation or Xbox?

Consoles planned; specific platforms unknown

The June press kit says consoles are planned for full launch. It does not identify PlayStation, Xbox or another console. A03

Does ARDEM support Linux / SteamOS?

Platform metadata exists; release support should be rechecked

The current Steam page exposes a SteamOS + Linux system-requirements section, although some OS-detail fields are incomplete. Treat Linux support as current store metadata rather than a final launch guarantee. A02

Does ARDEM support mods?

Current Steam metadata + longer-term plan

Steam currently lists Steam Workshop. The pinned FAQ describes broader modding/private-server goals, but those high-change details need re-confirmation because the FAQ is partially stale. A02 A13

Can I host my own ARDEM server?

Developer-stated plan

Steam says players will be able to host/tailor their own server experience. The pinned FAQ says dedicated server files are planned after launch. Exact timing and tooling remain open. A02 A13

What does ARDEM stand for?

Strongly supported: Artificial Demography

The pinned officer-maintained Steam FAQ explicitly says ARDEM stands for Artificial Demography, matching the project name used on the current official site. A13 A01

What is RHAB-14?

Current lore

RHAB-14 is the virus associated with ARDEM's collapse. Techtive says society fell within weeks. A01 A02

What are the zombies called?

Current official term

The current ARDEM website calls the infected the restless. A01

Does ARDEM have NPC factions?

No confirmed named factions; older FAQ says not core plan

No named canonical faction is established in current material. The pinned FAQ says roaming traders/bandits were not planned as part of the core experience when that FAQ was edited. A13

Are there different infected types?

Broad variety advertised; details less certain

Steam promises diverse enemy types with different behaviours. The older pinned FAQ described faster/less-decayed variants, but those details need re-confirmation. A02 A13

What has Techtive shown of infected behaviour?

Work in progress

Recent developer material shows animation and reaction work for wandering, spotting, chasing and attacking. It demonstrates active development, not the final enemy AI, encounter variety or combat quality. A22

Does ARDEM have boats, aircraft or seasons?

Older plan only

Those appear in the pinned Steam FAQ as long-term ideas. They are not current launch features in the strongest reviewed sources. A13

How much will ARDEM cost?

Exact price unknown

Steam says Early Access will be cheaper than full release and likely rise at 1.0. An older FAQ's rough $30–40 range is not repeated by the current store, so Sourceborne does not treat it as current pricing. A02 A13

Is there an official roadmap?

Not publicly usable yet

The ARDEM site's navigation labels a roadmap as live, but the roadmap destination currently resolves to an under-development/coming-soon state. Treat roadmap details as unavailable until the page itself exposes them.

Is ARDEM inspired by DayZ and Project Zomboid?

Developer-stated

The press kit says ARDEM draws inspiration from SCUM, DayZ and Project Zomboid, and says Techtive's founders include former modders from the DayZ and The Elder Scrolls communities. A03

Is ARDEM the same game as the older robot/AI version?

Same project lineage, substantially changed premise

Older 2023–24 material described a hostile-AI/robot setting. Current official material uses the RHAB-14 pandemic premise. The older setting is superseded development history. A14 A15 A01