LOK-1 Smart Rifle Guide: Best Builds in Rogue Core

Combat Summary

• Official: The LOK-1 Smart Rifle — the Engineer’s smart rifle from Deep Rock Galactic — was added to Rogue Core’s standard weapon pool in Update 2.
• Official: Its auto-lock was adapted to Rogue Core’s upgrade and damage systems rather than ported straight from DRG.
• Guidance: It rewards target prioritization and pairs well with the new elemental Expenite upgrades. Specific upgrade picks below are tactical guidance, not official stats.

The LOK-1 is the thinking dwarf’s rifle: it locks onto targets for you, freeing your attention for positioning, revives, and objective work. Here is how to get the most out of it in Rogue Core.

How the Smart Rifle Works in Rogue Core

The LOK-1 auto-locks onto enemies, which makes it exceptional at handling fast or flying threats while you focus on movement. Ghost Ship Games adapted the lock-on to Rogue Core’s systems, so expect it to interact with the game’s upgrade pool rather than behave exactly like its DRG incarnation. Treat it as a precision weapon with training wheels for target acquisition — your job is target selection and positioning.

Best Use Case

The LOK-1 shines when the screen is busy: swarm events, mixed packs with priority targets, and flying Corespawn like the Voidkin Drifter where tracking manually costs you dodges. It is less exciting against single tanky targets where raw DPS weapons win — bring a heavy weapon or a damage-focused teammate for Gatekeepers.

Recommended Build Direction

• Elemental upgrades first. Update 2 added seven elemental Expenite upgrades (Spark-Booster, Grid-Shock, Weathering Blast, Icy Shrapnel, Icicle Strike, Concussive Shot, Frostbane). Elemental procs that slow or chain between targets multiply the value of a weapon that is always on target.
• Fire rate and lock consistency over raw damage. The LOK-1’s strength is uptime — upgrades that keep it firing and locked beat marginal damage bumps.
• Ammo economy. The ammo economy is still only partially tuned (an open roadmap item), so respect your reserves on long missions and let the R.E.P.D. drafts cover your weaknesses.

Common Mistakes

• Locking the wrong target. Auto-lock does not know the Spitter behind you matters more than the Grunt in front. Manually retarget priority threats.
• Standing still. The rifle aims for you, which tempts players to plant their feet. Rogue Core punishes that — especially with wave stacking on Threat Levels 4–5.
• Forcing it into every run. On single-target burn phases, swap to a proper DPS option instead of being sentimental.

Patch Notes

Added to the standard weapon pool in Update 2 (September 2, 2026). A September 21 hotfix addressed a lock-on rifle crash, so keep your build updated.

Verification status: official Update 2 patch notes. Build advice is guidance, not official data. Updated September 30, 2026.