Beautiful Light glossary: every term the game and its community use
This glossary defines every Beautiful Light term in one line, from artifact and anomaly to QRF, full loss and AtmoStorm. Each entry names the official source that uses the word.
Beautiful Light has its own vocabulary, and Deep Worlds uses it in every update. Here is what each word means, defined from official sources only. Anything the studio has not explained says so.
The raid
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Raid | The game's asymmetrical mode: 24 players, 6 squads of 3 operators and 6 anomalies, on one map |
| Artifact | The object of the raid. Each one has properties worth exploiting, enough to decide whether a city survives |
| Extraction | Leaving the map alive with what you carry, by helicopter |
| Full loss | Die before extracting and everything you brought is gone |
| QRF | Quick Reaction Force, the human side. You grow as a member of it |
| Operator | One of the 18 human players in a raid |
| Anomaly | A monster. Six slots per raid are player controlled, the rest are AI |
| Ground Zero | The first map, used in every playtest since 2023 |
| Point of interest | A named location on the map. Ground Zero is getting seven new ones |
Equipment and systems
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| PDA | The device on your forearm, your main source of information. It locates objectives and, since August 2026, carries a scanner |
| Scanner | A PDA mode that shows almost everything around you, down to whether a light is on. Only players stay hidden |
| Bag modules | Holster, Medical Pouch, Ammo Pouch and Extension, bought and fitted to higher tier bags |
| Radiation | Map hazard, measured by the PDA. Too much drains stamina, then health. Filters are consumables |
| AtmoStorm | The weather system built in March 2024, simulating weather from real sun position data |
| Point aiming | A middle ground between firing from the hip and aiming down sights |
| Weapon tiers | Attachment levels, from a bare weapon up to grip, optic, suppressor and stock |
| Skill tree | The progression screen shown in 2026, with branches such as War Lord, Support, Technician and Anomaly Hunter |
| Breaching | Forcing a door, shown in February 2026 as part of the new game mode |
The creatures
| Name | What it is |
|---|---|
| The Juggernaut | The first playable anomaly, implemented in July 2024 |
| The Wendigo | A playable anomaly that climbs walls, shown from June 2026 |
| The Sheitan | An AI anomaly built to surprise players |
| The Reaver | An AI anomaly, with Creep, Crawler and Elite variants shown in 2026 |
| The Big Boy | A tank that charges at you |
| The Ravageur | A hulking creature shown once under that name, April 2026 |
| Psy anomaly | A creature revealed in March 2026 as the first of a "Psy" type, never explained |
Studio and community
| Name | Who or what |
|---|---|
| Deep Worlds SA | The independent studio developing and publishing the game |
| Aherys | Eric Rajot, the studio's CEO, who posts most of the work in progress |
| Matavatar | Head Staff at Deep Worlds, who posts the level art |
| Psychoghost | The creator who presents the dev update videos |
| #leaks-wip | The Discord channel where staff share work in progress |
| Dev update | The studio's recurring progress post on Steam, numbered, with a video |
| Early Access | The December 2026 paid release, before the full version |
Terms people use that Deep Worlds has not defined
- Black squad: mentioned once in a 2024 dev update video, never explained.
- Wipe: the studio discussed wipes in an interview, but has published no wipe policy.
- Meta, tier list, best loadout: nothing official exists, because nobody outside the playtests has played the current build. Any list you read elsewhere is a guess.
For the creatures in detail, see the anomalies guide. For the map, Ground Zero. For the arsenal, weapons.
Sources
- Beautiful Light on Steam: raid, artifact, anomaly, QRF, progression
- Deep Worlds news on Steam: dev updates 1 to 8, the 2024 and 2025 reviews, the April 2023 FAQ
- Deep Worlds' official Discord (discord.gg/project-bl), #leaks-wip: the PDA scanner, bags, radiation, the skill tree and the 2026 creatures
BL Guide, unofficial community coverage of Beautiful Light. Every figure on this page comes from an official source, and anything unconfirmed says so: how we check.