No Man’s Sky’s 27th Major Update, Orbital, Is a Big One

No Man’s Sky developer Hello Games has unveiled its 27th major update, dubbed Orbital.

Hot on the heels of the release of the Omega expedition, the Orbital update brings a complete overhaul to Space Stations. Until now these have been perhaps the only part of No Man’s Sky that wasn’t procedurally generated, Hello Games said. “Engine improvements have allowed us to create vast interior spaces and exterior spaces, with improved reflection and metallic surfaces.”

Outside, Space Station exteriors are said to be “at a scale never seen before, and are hugely varied.” Inside, Stations have been “transformed, and are now vast, procedurally generated, and incredibly diverse.” They feature new shops, gameplay, and activities, and are now customized based on system, race and locale.

Stations also contain a ship editor, which lets players customize their ships and create new starship types. Hello Games said a ship editor was “perhaps our most requested feature of all time.”

“We haven’t introduced customisation previously, because so many players love exploring to find the perfect ship already out there to purchase,” Hello Games explained. “In keeping with exploration, to customize their ship, travelers gather and trade parts for their ships as they explore, salvaging the best components from wrecks and ruins.”

Elsewhere, Orbital adds a new Guild system, making joining Guilds and increasing reputation a much larger part of the game. You can own a freighter and even build up a fleet of frigates in No Man’s Sky. “Now you can send that frigate fleet on away missions where if they get into trouble, as frigate captain, you can perform daring rescues,” Hello Games teased. “Players can scramble your squadron of fighters, and warp to battles and engage your attackers.”

And finally, there are engine improvements, a user interface refresh, and more. “It’s a huge update with several major features that have been on player’s wishlists for a long time,” Hello Games said. “We have a lot more planned this year as our journey continues.”

It’s a busy time for Hello Games, which is working on its next game, Light No Fire. It’s a game about adventure, building, survival and exploration together, set on a fantasy planet the size of Earth.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.