No Man’s Sky Beyond update brings ‘radical new’ multiplayer component this summer

Hello Games today announced plans for the next chapter in its space-faring adventure. No Man’s Sky: Beyond will be released this summer.

According to Hello Games’ managing director Sean Murray, the free update will include three main components. The first is No Man’s Sky Online, which brings major changes to the game’s current multiplayer mode.

“It includes a radical new social and multiplayer experience which empowers players everywhere in the universe to meet and play together,” Murray wrote in an email to Polygon. “Whilst this brings people together like never before, and has many recognizable online elements, we don’t consider No Man’s Sky to be an MMO. It won’t require a subscription, won’t contain micro-transactions, and will be free for all existing players.”

No Man’s Sky allows players to explore an infinite universe of planets, collecting resources, building bases and fighting enemies. When the game launched back in 2016, it received mixed reviews, mainly because of its grinding mechanics and samey worlds. Since then Hello Games has launched several updates that have either fixed or mitigated the game’s problems.

Last year’s update, Next, was warmly received. It included options to play along with small groups of friends. Presumably, No Man’s Sky Online will broaden and deepen multiplayer options and gameplay.

Murray did not address the other two components of No Man’s Sky: Beyond.

“We will talk more about each of the three major components of Beyond when we know we can be precise, and look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks,” he wrote. “Beyond will be our most ambitious chapter so far, and something we’ve been working ridiculously hard on. We’ll continue to support No Man’s Sky in this way for the foreseeable future.

“To some, Next may have felt like a natural end-point for our journey, but for us it was another step on a longer voyage.”

An information-light teaser trailer was released today. No Man’s Sky is available for PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox One.