Instead of releasing a sequel, or even just paid expansions, Hello Games focused on keeping its procedurally generated endless sci-fi space sim No Man’s Sky alive with substantial updates that are totally free. Last year’s No Man’s Sky Next update already brought the game to the place fans felt like it should’ve been all along. But the upcoming 2.0 No Man’s Sky Beyond update looks to be even more generous.
Originally pitched as a single collection of three separate updates, we already knew about the pseudo-MMO multiplayer and virtual reality features coming with the Beyond refresh. But the third feature remained a mystery until now. It turns out the “third pillar” in fact refers to all the other little planned improvements. And now we know what some of those improvements are.
Hello Games recognizes that people play No Man’s Sky in lots of different ways. So the team has worked on lots of different adjustments, no matter how weirdly specific, to foster these different playstyles. In Beyond you can ride animals and farm them for milk. You can explore new biomes and use their unique materials for cooking. You can create bigger automated bases with working electric computers that somehow run Rocket League. You can show off your base in the new Nexus social hub.
While we initially hoped the third feature would be another bombshell on the level of VR or expanded multiplayer (perhaps a shocking Nintendo Switch port) these quality of life improvements do sound like they’ll benefit No Man’s Sky’s most dedicated players. And those people deserve it. No Man’s Sky Beyond launches August 14. For more check out this in-game tribute to Notre Dame and read our hands-on impressions of what it’s like to play No Man’s Sky in VR.
