DREDGE: The Iron Rig

DREDGE: The Iron Rig is the second major expansion for the eerie fishing adventure DREDGE. It centres on a rig run by the Ironhaven Corporation, and its expansion unlocks new equipment and a separate story. As the work progresses, unusual changes spread through the sea.

The expansion requires the main game and can be started regardless of your progress in the original story.

The Iron Rig was released on Aug 15, 2024 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. Since Feb 27, 2025, the expansion has also been available as an additional purchase in the iOS and Android versions of DREDGE.

The base game was released on Mar 30, 2023. The Iron Rig is also included in DREDGE Complete Edition.

The Iron Rig can be played on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. On iOS and Android, the expansion is offered within the respective DREDGE app. A separate Switch 2 version is not needed to play the Switch version on compatible hardware.

DREDGE is required for all versions. Buying the expansion alone does not include the base game.

The new tasks take you back to DREDGE's familiar waters. For the Ironhaven Corporation, players gather materials, bring deliveries to the rig and unlock additional facilities there. Each construction stage opens up more tasks and tools.

Rather than introducing a completely separate game world, The Iron Rig connects new tasks and dangers with the existing island regions. This also changes familiar fishing routes.

According to Team17, The Iron Rig offers about two to five extra hours of play. The new story comes with over 50 fish species, eight pieces of equipment, an extra hull upgrade stage and improvements to existing abilities. On Steam, the expansion adds 12 achievements.

The Iron Rig is the second major expansion after The Pale Reach. Both can be played in addition to the base game.

The Iron Rig requires the PC version of DREDGE. For the base game, Steam lists at least Windows 10, an Intel Core i3-2100 or AMD Phenom II X4 965, 4 GB RAM, and a GeForce 8800 GT or Radeon HD 6570. For higher resolutions, a Core i5-2550K or FX-8370, 6 GB RAM and a GeForce GTS 450 or Radeon HD 5770 are recommended.

On Steam, the expansion supports German menus and subtitles.

The Ironhaven rig grows with every material delivery. New facilities unlock advanced equipment and make further jobs easier. The expansion is therefore not just a backdrop to the story, but its own progression track alongside the fishing boat upgrades.

The company's economic interests are closely tied to the mysterious changes in the sea.

A dark fluid is spreading through familiar fishing grounds. This changes conditions at sea and affects fish species you knew before. The new catches greatly expand the collection and give experienced players a reason to revisit earlier areas.

The spread is part of the additional story and is linked to the work on the rig.

Eight new pieces of equipment and an extra hull upgrade level expand the fishing boat. Improved versions of certain abilities are also included. These additions mainly change what you can do when fishing, transporting and exploring the existing sea regions.

The expansion also adds new building and gathering tasks, which regularly bring the boat back to the Ironhaven rig.

You can start The Iron Rig at any time during an ongoing DREDGE save. You don't need to finish the original story or the expansion The Pale Reach first. The new tasks use the existing areas.

If you already have a heavily upgraded boat, you can take on the new deliveries and catch missions with your existing equipment.

On iOS and Android, The Iron Rig has been available as additional content since Feb 27, 2025. The mobile versions of DREDGE have touch controls and support external controllers. Black Salt Games offers the expansions The Pale Reach, The Iron Rig and Blackstone Key as in-app purchases.

Save data can be synced between iOS and macOS, or within supported Android services, but not with console or Windows versions.

The PC version includes German menus and subtitles. DREDGE is a single-player adventure, so the expansion is also played without co-op or multiplayer mode. On PC, the base game's existing controller support works with it.

The mobile versions support external controllers as an alternative to touch controls.