Despite its infamously rocky launch, Hello Games have been dutifully plugging away at No Man’s Sky. Over the years the space-based crafting and exploration game has received several major updates and additions, all free, including officially adding multiplayer support last year.
Hello Games Co-Founder and Lead Designer Sean Murray has announced the next update for No Man’s Sky, and it’s a big one. No Man’s Sky: Beyond will include three major updates, coming this summer.
The first part of Beyond, and the only one announced so far, is called No Man’s Sky Online. No Man’s Sky Online will add new social features and expand multiplayer support. Players from all over the universe will be able to play together. Many of the changes are based on feedback from players following the No Man’s Sky Next multiplayer update.
Murray admits they are borrowing features and tools from MMO games. But is quick to point out that No Man’s Sky will never require a subscription, and all updates are still free.
No Man’s Sky Online will bring people together like never before, and has many recognisable online elements, but we don’t consider it to be an MMO – it won’t require a subscription, won’t contain microtransactions, and will be free for all existing players.
— Sean Murray (@NoMansSky) March 15, 2019
“While working on our roadmap of three future updates, we decided we wanted to interweave their features, and had a vision for something much more impactful. Beyond will be our most ambitious chapter so far, and something we’ve been working ridiculously hard on,” writes Murray. “We’ll continue to support No Man’s Sky in this way for the foreseeable future.”
No Man’s Sky is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It’s rated T for Teen.
