TRENCH: DECAY enemies are the undead and hazards of the trench line — waves of the dead, barbed wire and gas. This page covers confirmed behavior and the named threats, without a fabricated bestiary.
Enemies in TRENCH: DECAY
Most people find TRENCH: DECAY expecting a WW1 soldier-versus-soldier shooter — and get something stranger. This page covers what you are actually fighting, where it comes from, the hazards that fight alongside it, and how the beta’s rapid updates keep changing enemy behavior.
Fig. 01 — Contact, everywhereNot the other side’s soldiers — the dead
TRENCH: DECAY is a squad PvE game. Per independent coverage of the current build, the things coming over the wire are not living men from the opposite trench: they are described as the vengeful dead — what the earth “spat out” after the bloodiest brawl in its history — crawling out of shell craters and bunkers in wave after wave.
That reframes the whole loop: scavenge a working arsenal, hold the line against the waves, reach the extraction point alive — and carry out the dog tags of the squadmates who didn’t.
Hazards that work with the enemy
Coverage consistently pairs the enemies with environmental hurdles: barbed wire that slows your push, and the gas that defines the game’s push-gas-extract rhythm per the official description. Artillery is part of the soundscape as well — the current build even added audio cues for incoming shell impacts, so you can react before the crater appears.
Treat terrain as a second enemy faction. The squads that survive are the ones that read the ground, not just the horde — our How to Play guide covers the full loop.
Enemy behavior changes between builds
Because this is an early-beta solo project, enemies are actively rebalanced. The verified notes from the Big Bertha update (see our updates timeline)document two concrete examples: the Hunter March was reworked from semi-automatic to fully-automatic fire with reduced damage per hit, and capturing the Big Bertha objective — rather than simply destroying it — triggers additional enemy waves as the price of the bigger reward.
Difficulty also scales the threat: on the reinforced Lieutenant difficulty, enemies hit harder and come in greater numbers while your bleed-out window shrinks. Creator coverage has additionally shown heavier enemy types appearing in regular missions as the beta evolves — expect the roster to keep growing.
Gear before grit
Independent coverage puts it bluntly: go in unprepared and you become part of the trench mud. The free head start is the promo code list — Medals and crates that unlock better melee and firearm loadouts before your first wave hits. Then pick a class whose skill tasks match how you want to fight. Read the how to play guide for the full loop and the squad co-op guide for surviving the waves together.
The horde punishes lone wolves
Wave enemies converge on isolated targets, and a downed squadmate becomes a recovery objective — their dog tags need carrying out. Communication and squad cohesion are the difference between an extraction and a wipe; see our Squad Co-op guide for playing with friends.
What is not documented (yet)
The developer has not published an official bestiary, enemy names list, health pools, damage values, or spawn logic — and in early beta these change without notice. Rather than invent stats, this page covers only enemy behavior that is verifiable from the official description, independent coverage, and documented update notes. It will be expanded as the developer publishes more via the official Discord and studio group.
Enemies FAQ
Do you fight other players in TRENCH: DECAY?+
No. TRENCH: DECAY is a player-versus-environment (PvE) game — your squad fights AI-controlled enemies, not enemy soldiers manned by other players. If you are looking for the 25v25 PvP game with a similar name, that is TRENCHES, a completely different game by a different developer. See our comparison guide for the full breakdown.
What kind of enemies are they?+
Independent coverage describes them as the vengeful dead — undead that the battlefield itself spits out after the bloodiest war in history, crawling from shell craters and bunkers in waves. The official framing is a squad co-op survival experience set in WW1 trenches rather than a historical soldier-vs-soldier shooter.
Do enemies get harder on higher difficulties?+
Yes. The verified notes from the Big Bertha update describe the Lieutenant difficulty being reinforced: enemies deal more damage and appear in greater numbers, while your bleed-out window is shorter and healing is delayed. Difficulty selection meaningfully changes the pressure your squad is under.
Is there a full bestiary with enemy stats?+
Not yet. The developer has not published an official enemy list, health values, or damage numbers, and the game is in early beta where enemy behavior demonstrably changes between builds (the Hunter March rework is a documented example). We only list what is verifiable, so this page sticks to confirmed behavior and will grow as the developer documents more.
Hold the line
Know the enemy, stack the free loot, and bring a squad that talks.
