No Man's Sky's update number 27 is out today, and it sounds like one of the biggest updates for the spacefaring game yet, introducing new and improved space stations, frigate fleets, spaceships, guilds, trading systems, and more.
No Man's Sky: Orbital is going live today, and you can see the announcement trailer for the brand new update just below. There's a huge focus on space stations this time - until now, these have been the only part of No Man's Sky that wasn't procedurally generated, and now they've been overhauled with vast interior and exterior spaces to explore.
Space stations will now be procedurally generated on the inside, and will vary depending on your race, as well as your positioning within the current star system and locale. You'll also be able to play games and other activities within the stations, as well as interact with new characters including shopkeepers for brand new wares and gear.
The overhauled space stations are also introducing one frequently-requested feature: a ship editor. You'll now be able to customize your starship from within the space station itself, and developer Hello Games is teasing "never before seen starship types" with the new update, built from the remnants of starships you've scavenged out in the galaxy.
There's also a full overhaul to the way Guilds works. The Guilds system is getting deeper in general, and the way you progress and increase your standing within a Guild itself will change to be a more active part of the wider game. The rebuilt space stations will frequently house Guilds envoys for you to interact with.
Finally in the Orbital update, you can build up your very own fleet of frigate ships, and then dispatch them into the outer reaches of the galaxy to fight battles. As the captain of your fleet, it's up to you where your fleet goes, who they do battle with, and most importantly, who they help and interact with.
You can check out the full list of patch notes on No Man's Sky's website to look at the granular details of all the changes and adjustments in the new update.
In terms of brand new titles arriving this year to compete with existing games like No Man's Sky, you can check out our new games 2024 guide for more.
