Scrap & Progression:
What Carries Between Runs

Separate temporary raid power from permanent RIG progress, and use Scrap without confusing run upgrades with long-term customization.

Steam release · coverage checked against the September 26, 2026 buildOfficial + release-parity demoUpdated September 27, 2026

DIRECT ANSWERThink in two layers: raid power helps the current run, while permanent parts and garage progression shape future RIGs. Scrap belongs to the long-term side of that loop. Before spending, decide whether the purchase improves a build you can field now or merely chases a stat you do not yet understand.

Official gameplay screenshots

Official RIG Riot screenshot of the RIG customization screen: a blue and purple mech on a circular platform beside Head, Torso, Arm, Legs, Backpack and Weapon slots. — Official Steam screenshot: the RIG customization screen with part categories and weapon slots.

Official RIG Riot screenshot of the garage part screen: a white and black RIG beside health, resistances, boost, energy capacity and weight load values. — Official Steam screenshot: the part stat screen, including health, resistances, boost, energy capacity and weight load.

Official RIG Riot trailer frame: a grey RIG with glowing pink thrusters firing a cannon at a burning enemy in a dark arena. — Official trailer frame: cannon pressure on a bandit boss encounter.

Two economies are happening at once

RIG Riot mixes a temporary roguelike run with permanent garage growth. During a raid, you build immediate power through weapons, augments and Volatile Mods. Between raids, permanent parts and meta progression change what you can bring next time.

THIS RUN

Temporary power

Weapon upgrades, augments, Volatile Mods and situational run choices.

FUTURE RUNS

Permanent power

RIG parts, garage configuration and progression purchases that shape later loadouts.

What Scrap is for

Current tutorial footage identifies Scrap as a main progression currency and shows it tied to settlement/garage upgrades and part-mod capacity. The September 8 official patch also changed scrapping parts to reward Scrap instead of SCM, a useful reminder that old videos can use outdated currency behavior.

A safer spending order

Fix access first. Unlock or improve systems that expand the builds you can actually field.
Fund a real archetype. Spend around a RIG you already understand rather than an imagined endgame build.
Protect flexibility. Load, energy and weapon capacity often matter because they let several future parts remain usable.
Delay luxury optimization. Do not sink permanent resources into a narrow interaction until the live version proves you want it.

Version warning for old guides

The demo moved to release-build parity on September 8, 2026, and the developer explicitly noted that years of intervening changes were pulled forward at once. If a guide treats SCM, objective counts or old menu behavior as current without a date, verify it in the current build.

Update status that affects progression

Two launch-week items changed the progression picture:

Fixed September 15: enemies killed in Assault mode (now Standard) were not awarding Upgrade progress. If your upgrade bar felt stuck in Standard mode before September 15, that was the bug.
Developer statement: players have reported the game is easier than expected. The developer acknowledged it and said stability fixes come first before tuning combat difficulty.

Practically: upgrade progress from Standard-mode kills can be trusted from September 15 onward, and baseline difficulty tuning is still moving, so treat any single-run economy estimate as provisional.