Hello Games has announced and released the new “Expeditions” update for No Man’s Sky, adding a new game mode, seasonal events, new mission mechanics, new rewards, and more.
Here’s a new trailer:
Here’s a rundown on the update:
EXPEDITIONS: INTRODUCING UPDATE 3.3
Update 3.3, Expeditions, introduces a brand new way to play No Man’s Sky. Start a fresh journey in a brand new game mode, master a unique set of challenges with revitalised mission mechanics, earn exclusive new rewards, visit bustling hub worlds, and much more!
SHARED EXPEDITIONS
Introducing a whole new game mode: Expeditions. Each of these events starts from a fixed point in the universe, bringing the whole community of travellers together to embark on a shared journey.Each expedition is structured around a series of Milestones. Complete these unique exploration goals in any order as you earn rewards, meet up with fellow travellers, and experiment with new ways of playing No Man’s Sky.
MILESTONES AND PHASES
Each Expedition phase is made up of milestones. These challenges, ranging from the simple to the highly challenging, can be completed in any order.Milestones are open-ended, and each one is a chance to explore a different aspect of No Man’s Sky. Every completed milestone brings a reward to assist you in your journey. Pin a milestone to your mission log to learn more!
Every fully completed phase will unlock a unique reward, exclusive to those who undertake the expedition. An extra reward awaits those who complete the entire expedition!
SPACE STATION MISSION OVERHAUL
Missions available from Space Station Mission Agents have been completely reworked for greater depth and interest. Rewards have also been rebalanced, especially for higher level missions.MILESTONE PATCHES
Each completed Expedition milestone reveals one of over 100 hand-crafted patches. Reveal them all to fill out your album of accomplishments!MISSION TARGET SWEEPING
The process of finding mission locations has been reworked to add more exploration gameplay. Instead of just following a marker, the Analysis Visor’s new Target Sweep mode requires players to use their tracking skills to precisely locate their target.TWITCH DROPS
You can now earn in-game rewards by watching No Man’s Sky on Twitch.The first official Twitch Drop campaign will run from April 1st – April 5th 2021, and includes rewards such as character customisations, emotes, base parts, ship decorations, and unique ships and multi-tools.
WEEKEND EVENTS
New weekend event missions are available from The Nexus! Each weekend, Polo and Nada will indicate a specifically-located mission for all Travellers to participate in and earn generous Quicksilver rewards.RENDEZVOUS POINTS
Special Rendezvous Planets along the Expedition route create dynamic hubs of activity. Reunite with other travellers on the same journey, group up with the community to build a settlement, or simply wave hello as you pass through.EXPLORER STARSHIP ENHANCEMENTS
Explorer-class starships have been visually refurbished with enhanced model and texture detail.FREQUENT, ON-GOING EXPEDITIONS
New expeditions will begin regularly. The duration and length of each expedition will be unique, as each will explore a different theme, with bespoke challenges and new exclusive rewards.Each Expedition begins fresh, with a randomised character and set of technologies, recapturing the excitement of setting out into the universe for the very first time.
At the end of the Expedition, the associated milestones and new rewards will no longer be earned. However, your savegame will still be available, and will be converted to a Normal mode save.
RESOURCE TARGET SWEEPING
Target Sweep can find more than just mission locations. Utilise this new mode to assist in locating rare resources such as Sac Venom or Ancient Bones, for pinned recipes as well as for mission objectives.NEW MISSION BOARD
The Mission Agent Mission Board has been visually revamped, improving aesthetics and clarity of information.SENTINEL COMBAT ENHANCEMENTS
Sentinel combat has been rebalanced to make combat more dynamic and satisfying, and to add an extra degree of challenge for players with an exceptional Multi-Tool loadout.Sentinel Quads have improved mobility and target locking, Sentinel Drones display an icon whilst performing repairs to other Sentinels, and Sentinel Walkers are now deployed to the planet via atmospheric injection.
QUALITY OF LIFE
A number of quality of life improvements have been introduced, including the ability to use the Quick Menu to switch their primary starship while docked at the Space Anomaly.The pinning system has been significantly improved to provide more accurate and helpful guidance while crafting products or installing and repairing technologies.
A number of recipe costs have been rebalanced to reduce grind gameplay, and terrain resource deposits now yield a more generous supply of metal.
CROSS-PLATFORM DISCOVERIES
The discoveries database has been made cross-platform. Your discoveries – planets, star systems, alien fauna and more – are now shared between all players. Community mission progress is also now pooled between all platforms, bringing the whole community together to unlock new Quicksilver items.(Featured base: “Alien pyramid” by BeebleBum on PS4)
Uploaded bases, including Featured Bases, can now be visited on any platform, making cross-platform play with friends more seamless than ever.
In any cases where several people had discovered the same object, the oldest discovery now takes precedence.
NEW HUD
The in-game HUD has been completely refreshed, for a cleaner and more legible appearance.PERFORMANCE AND LOADING OPTIMISATIONS
A significant number of performance and loading optimisations have been introduced across all platforms, reducing initial load and warp times, improving texture loading and terrain generation speed, and removing some physics-related stalls that could occur.EXCLUSIVE NEW REWARDS
Progressing through Expedition phases will unlock exclusive new rewards. Among the Pioneers Expedition rewards are a golden starship and helmet, a new lightweight jetpack unit, Atlas fireworks, elaborate gold-fringed flag, and more!NEW MARKERS
All markers for missions, buildings and resources have been restyled for greater clarity, definition and visual appeal.CROSS-SAVE REWARDS
Rewards earned from Expeditions can be redeemed for free on other saves in any game mode by visiting the Quicksilver Synthesis Companion on the Space Anomaly. Transfer your hard-earned Golden Vector to your primary save!STREAMLINED JETPACK UNIT
Included among the Expedition rewards is the streamlined jetpack unit, featuring an elegant single-thruster design and transforming the appearance of your explorer. Once earned, equip your new jetpack at any Appearance Modifier.MULTIPLAYER MISSION IMPROVEMENTS
The multiplayer missions available from The Nexus on the Space Anomaly have been enhanced with a number of gameplay improvements.Numerous bugs and synchronization issues have been fixed, and missions have been made smoother and more exciting by incorporating Target Sweeps to locate resources.
GOLDEN VECTOR
Explorers who fully complete the inaugural expedition, Pioneers, will be able to claim the Golden Vector starship: an opulent gold edition of the classic Alpha Vector.
Here’s the full patch notes:
EXPEDITION MODE
TARGET SWEEP
TWITCH DROPS
WEEKEND EVENTS
MISSION BOARD
NEXUS MISSIONS
HUD
BALANCE AND QOL
PERFORMANCE
SENTINEL CHANGES
GALAXY MAP
CREATURE IMPROVEMENTS
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
BUG FIXES
No Man’s Sky is currently available for Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X+S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.
