Brigador Killers Demo Progress Will Not Carry Over
Why saves reset for Early Access and how to preserve skill instead of files.
If you poured dozens of hours into THE GARAGE demo, hear this early: no demo or prior Itch progress imports into the Early Access build. Stellar Jockeys is restructuring the campaign so players do not skip new narrative beats or corrupt progression systems. This page exists so launch-week surprise rage stays low. Read it with Demo versus Early Access, Save & Gantry Rules, and Release Date.
Why the wipe exists
The demo ends its narrative on an explosive beat before shifting into Garage fantasy. Early Access expands that story into undercity missions with new tilesets before returning you to a garage-like loop. Importing demo inventories would skip teaching segments and break item graphs. Developers also warn that additional EA progression wipes may happen during later restructuring, ideally with advance notice.
This is not a punishment for dedicated players. It is campaign surgery. Treating the demo as a permanent account was always the wrong mental model—see Getting Started for the rehearsal mindset.
What you keep anyway
- Muscle memory for WASD, inventory, and pads—drill via Controls and Garage Guide.
- Personal notes in the loadout planner and screenshots of favorite kits.
- Knowledge of Merchant risk—see Merchant Causeway.
- Awareness of the new morale model—see Enemy Morale.
- Pad parking discipline from Save & Gantry Rules.
- Combat extraction habits from Combat Tips.
Skill transfers. Binary saves do not.
What you lose
Fabricated chassis, stashed exotics, gantry unlock states, and mission unlock flags from the demo branch. Treat August 20 as a fresh campaign, not a continuation save. Merchant crates you extracted in the demo will not greet you on day one. Plan emotional acceptance now, not at 11:00 PDT on launch morning.
Healthy demo mindset until launch
Play to learn systems, not to “finish” a permanent account. Finish OBSTACLE 1, practice death-aware loadouts, and stop when the lesson sticks. Wishlist the full game, sort Deluxe versus base on Pricing & Bundles, and stage the EA day-one checklist.
If you are still grinding demo Merchant for a museum of guns, stop. Photograph the kits, write the roles, and move on. The EA arsenal will expand anyway—see Early Access roadmap.
Modders and debug tools
Developers noted that players who already use debug or devmode tools may tinker—but they should back up files. This wiki does not host save hacks; we only relay the official warning. Unofficial import tools are out of scope and unsupported.
How this interacts with death risk
Even inside a single save branch, death can strip brought gear. The demo→EA wipe is a second, larger layer. Do not confuse them. Death lessons still matter for EA day two; import denial matters for day one. Both are documented so you stop blaming “bugs” for expected systems.
Communication checklist
- Tell multiplayer hopefuls there is single-player only—facts sheet says none.
- Tell Deck friends mouse is still recommended—see Steam Deck & Controller.
- Tell bargain hunters to confirm live prices—see pricing page.
- Tell yourself the Garage floor is not a vault.
Launch-week emotional plan
Expect a short anger spike when the import button is missing. Channel it into rebuilding from notes. Do not refund solely because a demo museum vanished—that outcome was published ahead of time. If the new undercity missions feel slower than Garage fantasy, that is intentional teaching space before the loop returns.
Tell friends the truth early: single-player only, Windows-first, mouse recommended, demo saves stay in the demo. Share Official Links instead of rumor screenshots.
Practice goals that still matter after the wipe
- Park every vehicle before deploy.
- Extract mid kits twice without panic spraying.
- Complete one Causeway method run for muscle memory only.
- Remap binds until inventory stops feeling random.
- Write Sheet C backups in the loadout planner.
Those five survive August 20 even when the binary save does not.
Cross-links
Skill transfers. Save files do not. Plan for a clean boot on August 20, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
Can I import my demo Garage into Early Access?
No. Demo and prior Itch progress do not carry over.
Why wipe dedicated players?
Campaign restructuring would skip new narrative missions and risk broken progression if old inventories imported.
Will Early Access wipe again later?
Possibly during major restructures. Developers hope to warn in advance.
What should I save manually?
Notes, screenshots, and loadout plans—not binary demo saves.
Does buying Deluxe restore demo progress?
No. Bundle tier does not change the import rule.