Factions & Territory

Official material repeatedly places "warring factions" and "faction-controlled territories" inside the world: the frozen city is not empty, it is contested.

The developer frames the game as "grounded" — "no constant gunfire". Faction pressure is territorial and economic before it is combat.

That makes territory a risk curve: the deeper and richer the district, the more likely someone else considers it theirs.

Mechanics

• Risk scales with depth: shallow ruins are scavenging, deep districts are faction-controlled and cost more to enter.
• Territory interacts with the cold — the richest salvage sits where the exposure bill is highest, so faction risk and cold risk stack.
• In co-op the calculus changes: four players can hold ground that one cannot, but holding ground is still a fuel and food expense.

Unmeasured

Not published, not inferable, not guessed:

• Number and identity of factions
• Reputation or hostility mechanics
• Whether territory can be contested or taken
• Stealth versus combat viability