No Man’s Sky is getting a surprise update on Wednesday, March 31, that makes traveling through the galaxy and progressing a character much easier, whether you’re a longtime veteran or just now showing up. Expeditions is a seasonal way to play No Man’s Sky that’s like a highly cooperative version of The Amazing Race.
This update’s main feature, the titular Expeditions, is a new game mode. Everyone starts out on the same planet, with an expedition plotted out for them that will take them across the galaxy. Players all start off with an assortment of gear, technology, ships, and weapons. It’s up to players to make their way through the galaxy map and reach the final destination, completing challenges all the while.
Some of these expedition challenges are simple, while others are meant to be more difficult. When players complete milestones, they unlock in-game rewards across all saves, meaning that once you’re done with your seasonal journey, you get to bring the rewards back to your main save for building, exploring, and traveling.
Expeditions work on a seasonal model, which means that when one Expedition ends, a new one with a new theme and rewards will begin. Hello Games says that “this is just the beginning,” and future seasons will “offer a new way to look at the colossal universe of No Man’s Sky.”
Rendezvous points are also being added to the game, which make for an easy way to meet up with other spacefarers. Players could use them to check out a building project, meet up with other travelers on an Expedition, or see a friend’s new pet.
Quality of space life
The Expeditions update is also jam-packed with quality-of-life improvements to the most basic features that will help quell existing fan concerns and issues. Sentinels, the major antagonistic force of the game, have been changed up to be more challenging and consistent. The player’s most valuable tools, the jetpack and Analysis Visor, have been retuned. Missions from stations and NPCs have been reworked as well, and players will need to use a Target Sweep mode on their visor in order to find mission objectives.
The in-game HUD has been changed as well; it is now cleaner and easier to read, while staying out of your way while you observe the sights on a new planet. The new player experience has also been tweaked to improve on early blueprints and tutorials.
Hello Games has activated a Twitch Drops campaign that will run from April 1-5. No Man’s Sky streams with drops enabled will allow viewers to earn valuable items, ranging from fireworks and emotes to A-class spaceships. In addition, Weekend Missions will return. These are open to the entire community, and reward a lot of the valuable Quicksilver currency.
