The raid loop
Malignus is not only a defense game. You send minions into the overworld, attack settlements, command the raid in real time and carry the treasure home. Mossbomb says the world remembers what you did, and the treasure you bring back is also what attracts adventurers to your door.
That makes the overworld a risk engine, not a separate campaign. A successful raid raises your Boss's level through the treasure thresholds, but it also increases the hoard that invading parties want to steal. The offensive and defensive loops feed each other.
Confirmed overworld facts
Confirmed
- The overworld is a hex map with the dungeon gate at the center.
- The official map shows dwarf, elf, human and giant farmsteads, plus goblin, kobold and ogre packs.
- Targets display a tier; all visible targets in the official screenshot are Tier I.
- Scrying reveals farmsteads and monster packs.
- Raids are commanded in real time.
- Minions bring the treasure home.
- The world remembers what the player did, according to the store description.
Not announced
- The size of the overworld, the number of targets and how much is hidden at the start.
- Travel time, raid duration and whether raids can be paused.
- How many minions can join a raid and what happens if they die.
- The full list of target types beyond farmsteads and monster packs.
- What “the world remembers” changes mechanically.
- How raid difficulty scales with day, hoard or dungeon strength.
Reading the hex map
The official map screenshot is a useful legend even though it is only one state of the system. The dungeon gate sits at the center. Around it are two target families:
- Farmsteads marked in blue: dwarf, elf, human and giant. These appear to be settlement targets.
- Monster packs marked in red: goblin, kobold and ogre. These are a different target type, not a settlement.
Every visible target carries a Tier I label in the screenshot. That implies a progression scale, but the public material does not explain what raises a target's tier or what the difference is in rewards and defenders.
The map also has a “Show Wrath and Greed” toggle in the bottom-left. The screenshot does not show what the toggle changes. It is not safe to assume it reveals hidden targets or modifies rewards.

How a raid plays out
The public material supports a five-stage loop. The exact interface path is not published, so the steps below describe the flow, not a click-by-click walkthrough.
Scry
Reveal farmsteads and monster packs on the hex map. The official map shows what scrying has revealed, not the whole world.
Choose a target
Pick a settlement or a monster pack. Tier, defenders and rewards are not documented beyond the Tier I label.
Send minions
Assemble the raiding party. How party size is determined and whether the Boss can join is not public.
Command in real time
The raid is not resolved by a progress bar. You control it live, with spells and combat abilities available.
Bring it home
The treasure is carried back to the dungeon. It raises the hoard and contributes to the Boss's treasure thresholds.
Loot and consequences
The store description is explicit: “Raid the settlements above for treasure, then hold it against the adventurers who come to take it back.” The boss-select screen adds the treasure thresholds: level 2 at 5 treasure, level 5 at 30.
This creates a deliberate tension. Raiding is how you power up the Boss, but the hoard is also the reason invasions grow. A player who raids aggressively and ignores defense is building a larger target, not a stronger dungeon. The first raid guide covers how to prepare the dungeon for the return trip.
Raid before the first invasion, not after
The boss-level thresholds make early treasure disproportionately valuable: the first 5 treasure takes the Boss to level 2. A controlled raid that reaches the threshold can improve your defense before the first serious invasion. This is a planning inference from the published thresholds, not a tested route.
Raid preparation
- Stabilise the dungeon first. Food, beds, a cook and a working storage filter matter more than a larger raiding party.
- Leave a defense behind. The overworld does not pause the dungeon's needs. Keep combat-capable minions, traps and the Boss at home.
- Check the invasion status. The HUD shows Unrest and Invasion separately. Do not launch a raid while the dungeon is already exposed if you can avoid it.
- Plan the return. Treasure has to be carried home. The official screenshot shows a minion carrying raided treasure to the sanctum door.
- Expect the world to remember. The store description says the world remembers what you did. Treat every raid as a future consequence, not a one-off loot roll.
What is unknown
- How target tiers scale and what raises them.
- Whether farmsteads and monster packs give different reward types.
- How many minions can raid, and whether the Boss can lead a raid.
- What happens to minions who fall in the overworld.
- What “the world remembers” changes — reinforcements, revenge parties, closed targets or something else.
- Whether raids can be repeated on the same target.
Sources
Sources for this page
- 01Official Malignus interface screenshots — Mossbomb
The press kit's 'Screenshots with the interface' set documents the New Dungeon flow, boss select, minion stats, duties, grumbles, behavior settings, trap build menu, wiring, Dark Arts, boss upgrades, prisoners, altar and overworld map. Used for observations that are not spelled out in the store copy.
- 02Malignus press kit and fact sheet — Mossbomb
Fact sheet, development history, feature list, character and creature art, screenshot captions, and permission for press and content creators to use the kit's media in coverage of Malignus.
- 03Malignus on Steam — Valve / Mossbomb
Store description, Early Access Q&A, tags, supported languages, features, system requirements and the storefront's November 12, 2026 date display.
- 04Mossbomb — the studio making Malignus — Mossbomb
Developer site. Confirms the November 13, 2026 Early Access date, $19.99 Early Access price, $29.99 planned 1.0 price, monthly updates, demo status, platforms, co-op and headline features.
- 05Malignus — Demo Launch Trailer (2026) — Mossbomb
Official trailer used only for visual observations such as the Cinder Demon's fire effects and the Sunken Horror's tentacles.
Accessed 1 November 2026. Full source log and verification notes: Malignus Wiki sources.
