Hello Games released its space exploration title No Man’s Sky amidst much hype in 2016. While the game didn’t match up to player expectations at launch, the developer relentlessly pumped in bug fixes and content updates. These have changed the course of the game over the years, and have made the title one that a large player base enthusiastically supports.
The updates have brought various features to the game over time, including multiplayer and virtual reality (VR) support, third-person perspective, launch on new-gen consoles and crossplay, ships, expeditions, and AI Sentinels, to name a few. To date, Hello Games has added 27 major updates and 11 community Expeditions. The developer recently celebrated No Man’s Sky’s 7th Anniversary with the release of its latest major content update, Echoes, on August 24, 2023. Hence, now is the perfect time to rank the best expansions No Man's Sky has received over the years.
8 NEXT
NEXT brought update version 1.50 to No Man’s Sky on July 24, 2018. Not only was it important because it was among the first few updates that the game received, but also because it brought in some pending features that were promised at launch. For starters, it added multiplayer, one of the most significant features that have made the title what it is today. It allowed players to build colonies together, fight together, and even race each other across the cosmos. And yes, it improved base building, removing the limitations present earlier and making group activities a lot more immersive and fun.
The NEXT update also brought in character creation and a third-person perspective. As a result, players could create their own avatars and explore the cosmos while viewing their characters. Since the update also overhauled No Man’s Sky’s physics and graphics at the time, the overall gameplay experience was improved by a great margin. From intricate details to pollen flying off the plants to the light bending around black holes, and various bug fixes, this update was one of the first that set the title back on the right track.
7 Beyond
The Beyond update for No Man’s Sky was launched in August 2019. It brought a lot of quality-of-life changes, for both technical and content aspects. On the content front, it brought in massive tweaks that freed up the base-building mechanics even more. As such, the bases players could build together increased in diversity and scale. It also added more NPCs to the game, with a lot of varied dialogue options, new words, and entire languages. These little changes made the title more engaging for those who wished for more immersive lore.
On the technical front, it improved and built upon the multiplayer experience, allowing a larger group to play together, whether on console or PC. Perhaps the most significant addition was the support for VR. While the experience was naturally not as polished as it is today, receiving VR support for a space exploration title of infinite scale and engaging content was a milestone for the community.
6 Crossplay
Crossplay was another fundamental update in No Man’s Sky, launched in June 2020. The title was also added to Xbox Game Pass, which significantly expanded its reach. And, as easily understood by the update's name, it brought cross-platform support to Hello Games’ title. What increased positive reception was that the cross-platform support was created in secret. As such, players could now play and build together, no matter the platform they were on, at a cheaper cost. Hence, gamers were no longer restricted in the friends they made and played with.
Like other updates before it, many quality-of-life changes were added, including better visuals, bug fixes, and added features for the VR experience. Another great update was the inclusion of transcription, which allowed voice messages to be transcribed in chat for ease of communication.
5 Sentinel
Sentinel was a combat-focused update that was launched in February 2020. While No Man’s Sky had a semblance of survival based on fighting, it was present in diluted state. This update was added after the community’s sustained requests and overhauled the fighting system. New enemies called Sentinels were added, along with a choice to equip an AI drone. They were also varied and packed a punch, along with one, the Sentinel Hardfram Mech, essentially being an overpowered foe for aggressive players.
To strike a balance, Multi-Tool systems were made smoother and better. New projectiles, beams, and more were added as well. Further, the AI drones that players could have were given devastating combat abilities. Overall, it enhanced the title’s combat system by a great margin and brought more content for adventurous fans.
4 Frontiers
Among various things, the Frontiers update added settlements to No Man’s Sky in September 2021, a feature that has its fair share of fans. Essentially, players can find housings where NPCs live together, and become their overseer over time. They can resolve conflicts, and make specific changes to make the settlement agricultural, industrialist, or more.
Other than settlements, it added a lot of build parts to the game, allowing for increased structure customization. A new grid system was introduced to make the process smoother. Also, an increase in the number of available save slots was another one of the biggest things that the Frontiers update brought to the game. As such, this update added more character, structural, and lore components to flesh out the procedurally generated worlds. It made the universe feel more lived in.
3 Companions
In February 2021, the Companions update made No Man’s Sky a lot more wholesome. The biggest part was the addition of Companions, creatures that players could now bond with, have as pets, and take with them on journeys. As many as six slots were added for this, which gave gamers a chance to have their own menagerie. To top it off, the creatures themselves were in line with the procedurally themed world, and thus there were almost infinite variations to meet.
Further, nurture and environment could shape them, which led to even more configurations possible. Players could trade eggs, or create their own genetically modified ones, too. These creatures weren’t just cosmetic Companions either and could help in combat, looting, finding resources, and more. There were various bug fixes and UI quality-of-life changes, but the “pet” aspect of Companions is what made this expansion so great.
2 Outlaws
The Outlaw update, launched in April 2022, was a solid upgrade to No Man’s Sky. It introduced players to Outlaws, essentially the seedy underbelly of space, and allowed adventurous players to be a part of the illegal side of the law. They could run smuggling supply missions, have a run-in with pirates, experience epic space combat, and more. Moreover, while the update was welcomed by many, those focused on exploration and relaxed gameplay could choose to avoid Outlaws entirely if they felt it wasn't part of their ideal gameplay experience.
Another great addition was that players could now have nine ships available to them instead of six, which came in really handy since the Solar Starship was added. The Outlaws update also brought in the Squadrons feature, which allowed gamers to create their own fleet and empower them with various ships and abilities.
1 Echoes
The latest update to No Man’s Sky, Echoes was released in August 2023 and is one of the biggest ones yet. Not only has it brought in a new race of robotic beings, but it also came packed with other content changes. To start off, the Autophage aren’t there just for show—they are present in varied appearances and practical styles, and have their own rituals, lore, and more. Players can learn more about them through missions.
One of the most beloved parts of the Echoes update is the renewed focus on combat, with new content pushing more space battles in No Man's Sky's final frontier. There are bigger fights with Pirate Dreadnought freighters, and players can now rescue civilians. There's also the ability to divert power to defensive or offensive ship parts, better physics, and visuals in space combat, to name a few features.
Further, players can also dismantle excess weaponry to get upgrades and refine their collection, a detail that was solely missing. On the technical front, various performance and visual improvements were made to PS VR2, Nintendo Switch, and all platforms. Overall, the Echoes update has brought a plethora of perhaps the most deeply enriching content and technical updates in recent years.
No Man's Sky is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.