Best No Man’s Sky Updates

Summary

• Nonstop updates since 2016 transformed No Man’s Sky from a rocky launch into a thriving, evolving game.
• Next, Atlas Rises, Origins, Worlds, Voyagers, Outlaws & Frontiers added co-op, portals, corvettes, biomes, colonies.
• Gameplay deepened with corvettes, settlements, altered gravity, richer biomes, spacewalks and improved visuals.

No Man’s Sky has had a non-stop updating policy ever since it was released back in 2016, and throughout nearly a decade of bringing joy to fans of Space Exploring Simulators, Sci-Fi Shooters, and Survival Crafters, integrating lots of cool mechanics that few games dare to imitate. Hello Games’ strategy to Update the game whenever there’s a chance has really paid off, and the game looks more awesome every year.

With the recent Voyagers Update, No Man’s Sky has once again jumped ahead on the charts of most-played games, but the question is: Which are the best Updates brought to No Man’s Sky? If players are thinking on jumping into the game for the first time, now’s the best time to take a look at this list that travels across time and space, bringing readers the most notorious content drops the game has ever launched.

No Man’s Sky Next Update

A Rubicon For The Game That Changed Space Exploration

• A turning point for No Man’s Sky
• Introduced Co-op Exploration

After a controversial head start, No Man’s Sky and Hello Games really caught fire, putting all cards on the table and then sweeping the board with the Next Update, which is, arguably, one of the best and most notorious changes the game has had over the years. Introducing the highly anticipated co-op system, Next overhauled multiplayer and allowed folks all around the world to play together while exploring this vast, endless, procedurally generated space.

Needless to say, if Next hadn’t been introduced back in 2018, No Man’s Sky would be a very different game from what it is today. Next also served as a platform for Hello Games’ non-stop updating strategy, which has ever since brought tons of good (and needed) content to the game. Now, more than ever, there are many reasons to jump into No Man’s Sky, and it all began with this brave first step.

No Man’s Sky Atlas Rises Update

Brought One Of The Best Changes Made To The Game

• Overhauled the Questing System
• Introduced lots of new Procedurally Generated Goals that enriched gameplay

One of the first details that players noticed after hundreds of hours exploring the release version of No Man’s Sky, was the absence of Portals, a feature that was teased back in 2014 during the first trailers showcased with the game’s announcement. The Atlas Rises update was a fix for this absence, and a course correction that completely changed how players traverse space in the game.

From the coordinate glyph system, to the overhauling of the ‘quest’ system, all the procedurally generated scenarios of No Man’s Sky suffered a considerable transformation. Atlas Rises was a pivotal expansion that allowed No Man’s Sky to become a more complete game, setting the basis for the Paths and, later, the Expeditions, evolving into the Milestones System.

No Man’s Sky Voyagers Update

A Highly Anticipated Ship Class Makes Its Debut

• Corvette (ship) building
• New Space Walking and Sky Diving Mechanics

This expansion has introduced one of the most anticipated features of every Space Simulation game: Corvette-class ships. With the addition of these enormous vessels that can be fully customized and built from scratch, No Man’s Sky players now have a complete fleet of space vehicles at their disposal (from singular ships to enormous frigates).

The Corvettes also have a fully integrated autopilot system, which is a total game-changer for solo players. Just be careful not to walk out of the ship as the autopilot is enabled, or risk being set adrift in space. On that note, the Space Walking mechanic adds another cool detail to this spacefaring simulation, which is already an enormous experience. For some, they might sound like minor details, but a large number of players have been clamoring for these changes to be introduced into the game for years.

No Man’s Sky Origins Update

The First Big Visual Upgrade Made To The Game

• Extreme planet ecosystem and xenobiology overhaul
• New biomes, weather effects, and planet types

Origins was one of the most revolutionary expansions for No Man’s Sky, correcting one of the most criticized aspects of the game: The lack of diversity in procedurally generated planets. With a vast array of new plants, animals, and planet phenomena to discover, Origins was lauded as ‘a game-changer’ update by fans and critics alike.

But this expansion was not only good for the introduction of biodiversity, new weather and light effects, and more eye-candy for the explorer players. It also set the basis for what was to come later, with the Worlds I and II expansions, changing forever how players interact with the environments they discover.

No Man’s Sky Worlds Part I & II

The Fulfillment Of A Promise Long Overdue

• Following Up from the Origins expansion
• Overhauled tons of aspects of Gravity, visual effects, and exploration in general

Worlds is one of the biggest Updates that No Man’s Sky has received to date, and it was so big that it needed to be divided into two parts. At first glance, it might look like a Visual overhaul, but both Worlds I and II are deeply tied to the main premise that gives its identity to the game: The freedom to explore vast and breathtaking alien worlds.

With cool new effects like altered Gravity wells, floating islands, and cascades that drop water from the skies, No Man’s Sky started to look radically different. Worlds II introduced even more visual changes, now making an emphasis on Solar Systems, space phenomena, the introduction of Purple-class Solar Systems, and an overhaul of Oceanic exploration with underwater environmental overhauls.

No Man’s Sky Outlaws Update

Enrichment of the Faction Systems, And Introduction Of One Of The Coolest Ship Classes

• Introduction of the Outlaw Stations and Rebel Systems
• Addition of Solar Ships

Outlaws was introduced to No Man’s Sky alongside Expedition 6: The Blighted, and it brought a lot of radical changes to the game. For starters, the stagnant Faction System in the game received a bump up with the introduction of Outlaw or Rebel Systems, governed by Pirates that had taken over abandoned Space Stations.

These Systems also offered the possibility of finding unique ‘illegal’ resources, ship Mods, and the coveted Solar Sail Ships that were fully operational, with their own characteristic Pulse Engine that consumed less fuel than regular ships, and had some of the best designs in the game. Besides the introductory quest named Under a Rebel Star, Outlaws also offered a way to ‘smuggle’ goods from station to station, making lots of money if players were willing to take the risk of exploring an outlawed system where everything is permitted.

No Man’s Sky Frontiers Update

A Promising Step Into The Future

• Introduction of Settlements and Planetary Management
• Overhauled Building that added lots of options for players who enjoy construction

With the No Man’s Sky Frontiers Update, a sudden change of paradigm arrived in this Space Exploration adventure: The introduction of Settlements. These colonies of sentient races could now be found around every planet, and upon discovery, players could aid them and become the Overseer, veiling for the prosperity of the colony in a sort of sheriff/task manager role. While players manage their settlements, they need to overcome dangers for the community, like the constant Sentinel attacks and the requests from the locals that are usually quite hard to fulfill.

Among all the expansions added to No Man’s Sky, Frontiers was a step in the right direction (which will eventually lead to fully operational space ports and cities), though its overall features are still lacking a bit. On the other hand, the addition of colonies also added a new layer of complexity to building with the grid-view menu, which improved the experience significantly.