Just over a month after a surge in player activity from its ambitious VOYAGERS update, Hello Games has released another free content expansion for No Man's Sky. The new update, titled "Breach," introduces a Halloween-themed expedition that sends players into the void to salvage derelict spacecraft.
The update is available today for all existing players and focuses on scavenging, custom ship building, and exploring desolate, abandoned star systems. Players can now engage in zero-gravity spacewalks to dismantle wrecked ships and recover valuable parts for their own custom vehicle creations.
Key Takeaways
- A new free update for No Man's Sky, named "Breach," has been released.
- The update introduces a limited-time expedition focused on scavenging wrecked starships.
- Players can now perform spacewalks in zero-gravity to explore and dismantle derelict vessels.
- New ship parts, including rare vertical modules and Atlas-themed components, are available to collect.
A Spooky Expedition into Deep Space
The centerpiece of the update is the Breach Expedition, a new seasonal event scheduled to run for approximately three weeks. This mission guides players into a desolate and abandoned corner of the universe, leaning into a darker, more mysterious tone fitting for the Halloween season.
During their travels, players will encounter the remains of massive corvette-class ships. These wrecks are not just scenery; they are interactive salvage sites. Players must venture outside their own ships in zero-gravity to explore these hollowed-out hulks, a feature that expands on the spacewalking mechanics introduced in the previous VOYAGERS update.
Using their Multi-Tool's laser, travellers can dismantle these wrecks piece by piece to gather unique ship modules. The narrative of the expedition centers on uncovering the fate of a specific vessel, the Fireship Arcadia, adding a layer of mystery to the salvage operations.
Building on VOYAGERS' Success
The Breach update arrives shortly after the VOYAGERS update, which Hello Games noted brought the game its highest player numbers since its initial launch nine years ago. VOYAGERS introduced a robust ship-building system, allowing players to construct their own custom starships from individual components. Breach directly expands this system with a new source for parts and more creative options.
New Tools for Ship Builders
The primary reward for braving these derelict ships is a wealth of new components for the Corvette Workshop. The update adds a significant number of new modules that can be salvaged from deep-space wrecks and planetary scrap heaps.
These new parts include:
- New landing gear and shield components
- Additional weapon mounts
- A variety of structural connectors
- Highly-requested wedge-shaped modules for more complex designs
- Rare vertical parts that enable entirely new ship configurations
By collecting these salvaged pieces, players can further customize their dream ship. The developers have also implemented quality-of-life improvements to the ship-building system, including better part snapping and more robust collision detection. A new feature also allows builders to apply a single color palette to an entire corvette at once, simplifying the customization process.
"We are genuinely blown away by the imagination of the corvette engineers we've seen in the community... assembling gorgeous original designs or recreations of famous ships!"
Atlas-Themed Rewards and Ominous Systems
For those who complete the Breach Expedition, a special set of Atlas-themed rewards awaits. These cosmetic modules allow players to show their allegiance to the mysterious, all-seeing entity at the center of the game's lore.
The rewards include:
- Aeron Cowling and Diffuser: Angular hull plates that give a ship a bold silhouette.
- Aeron Powershield: A shield module that boosts defensive capabilities.
- Aeron Drive and Aeron Blade: Bulky and sleek engine and wing options, respectively.
- Crimson Starship Trail: An engine modification that leaves a red trail in its wake.
Exploring Purple Stars
The expedition also encourages players to visit the ominous purple-star solar systems first introduced in a previous update. These systems are known for their particularly foreboding planets, which feature deep abyssal oceans, unearthly creatures, and volatile gas giants.
Beyond the ship parts, players can also unlock decorative posters for their bases that commemorate the expedition. These posters depict cosmic anomalies and creatures encountered during the event.
A Continued Journey
The release of Breach marks another step in the long-running development of No Man's Sky, a game that has received numerous free, large-scale updates since its 2016 release. The development team at Hello Games expressed that the positive community reaction to the VOYAGERS update inspired them to quickly begin work on this new content.
With a focus on expanding recently added features like ship building, the Breach update demonstrates a commitment to refining and deepening the core gameplay loops that have kept players engaged for nearly a decade. As the Breach Expedition begins, the community's ship builders now have a new frontier of derelicts to explore and a fresh palette of parts to fuel their creativity.