No Man’s Sky’s 10th Anniversary Update is a Massive Overhaul of Space Itself
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Hello Games has released Cosmos, a sweeping update marking No Man's Sky's 10th anniversary, which overhauls the game's depiction of space itself rather than adding new planets or gameplay systems as recent updates have done. The studio says the space between planets has barely changed since the game's troubled 2016 launch, so Cosmos introduces a new star map, salvageable "space hulks", outposts, biological wrecks and asteroid belts (some large enough to build bases on), giving players far more to do while travelling between worlds. This follows a run of substantial 2026 updates, including a gravity gun for manipulating wreckage and a Pokémon-style creature-capturing and battling system called Xeno Arena, underscoring how far the game has evolved since launch.
Cosmos also lets players construct orbital bases anywhere in space, from restaurants to military installations, with planets visible below, and introduces long-awaited ownership of space stations, which can be built, decorated and customised inside and out as personal headquarters or social hubs. Players can form alliances to build networks of stations together and compete on new leaderboards. The update launched on the game's 10th anniversary across Mac, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 4/5, Windows PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
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In short
- Cosmos update overhauls space itself for No Man's Sky's 10th anniversary
- Adds space hulks, asteroid belts, orbital bases and outposts
- Players can now own, customise and network space stations
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Hello Games has released Cosmos, a sweeping update marking No Man's Sky's 10th anniversary, which overhauls the game's depiction of space itself rather than adding new planets or gameplay systems as recent updates have done.
- 2 months ago Hello Games has released Cosmos, a major update marking No Man's Sky's 10th anniversary, which overhauls the game's depiction of space itself rather than adding new planets or gameplay systems as recent updates have done.
- 2 months ago Hello Games has released Cosmos, a sweeping update marking No Man's Sky's 10th anniversary, which overhauls the game's depiction of space itself rather than adding new planets or gameplay systems as recent updates have done.
- 2 months ago Hello Games has released Cosmos, a major update marking No Man's Sky's 10th anniversary, which overhauls the game's depiction of space itself rather than adding new planets or gameplay systems as recent updates have done.
- IGN No Man's Sky 10th Anniversary Cosmos Update Actually Updates Space, Lets Players Finally Reach Stars
- Engadget No Man's Sky gets largest update yet to mark 10th anniversary
- Polygon No Man’s Sky’s 10th Anniversary Update is a Massive Overhaul of Space Itself
- Rock Paper Shotgun No Man's Sky's 10th anniversary update will let you rule space stations, built floating orbital bases and go on holiday to the sun
Explained simply
Cosmos is a free update from developer Hello Games for No Man's Sky, a space exploration game that had a rocky, widely criticised launch back in 2016 but has since been rebuilt through years of free updates. Rather than adding new planets or gameplay mechanics, this update focuses on the empty space between planets, which the developer says has changed little since launch, filling it with wrecks, outposts and asteroid belts to explore.
The update arrives as the tenth anniversary of the game's original release, and follows a string of other significant additions made this year, including new tools for interacting with wreckage and a system for capturing and battling creatures. It also introduces new building options, letting players construct bases and customisable space stations out in orbit rather than only on planets.
This matters because it reflects a broader turnaround story in gaming, where a title once seen as a disappointment has become known for its long-term, ongoing support. Cosmos is being released simultaneously across all the platforms the game runs on, including PC and major consoles.
Coverage · 4 sources
- PolygonNo Man’s Sky’s 10th Anniversary Update is a Massive Overhaul of Space Itself
- IGNNo Man's Sky 10th Anniversary Cosmos Update Actually Updates Space, Lets Players Finally Reach Stars
- EngadgetNo Man's Sky gets largest update yet to mark 10th anniversary
- Rock Paper ShotgunNo Man's Sky's 10th anniversary update will let you rule space stations, built floating orbital bases and go on holiday to the sun