Today’s the day iPhone and iPad owners finally get to boldly go into No Man’s Sky’s procedurally generated universe, adding two more devices to the game’s already long list of compatible platforms. But developer Hello Games isn’t stopping there. It’s also launching a new update, Forsaken, for all players, bringing a bit of seasonal spookiness to the exploratory space sim.
With No Man’s Sky’s big tenth anniversary update now out in the wild and its associated limited-time expedition over, Hello Games is taking players to what it calls the “darker side of the universe” this Halloween. Here, we’re told, enigmatic traders are gathering in search of strange samples – ranging from haunted tech to biological horrors – and it’s up to players to step out in search of them. That means dives into No Man’s Sky‘s creepier corners, including derelict hulks, abandoned freighters, and infested outposts.
In return for their labours, players can acquire new seasonally themed shipbuilding options – leaning into the “creepy and organic side of sleek”. These include biomechanical corvette modules, new cockpits, and a new interior set “inspired by a distant galaxy”. Additionally there are new weapon and space suit styles: the larva tank helmet and wriggling grub cannon multi-tool. Hello Games’ pre-release press material is a bit vague on whether this is all limited time stuff – perhaps in the form of a new Expedition – but there’s also mention of “new features and gameplay” that sounds a little more permanent.
For instance, there’s talk of new postal missions – which see players “becoming a delivery driver across the galaxy” – alongside UI tweaks, including a radial menu for weapon selection, a new minimal HUD mode, and “dozens” of accessibility additions. The studio has also added what it calls “seamless warping”, meaning you can just lock onto the brightest star in the sky and travel straight there without visiting the galactic map.
So that’s the Forsaken update, which is available today on Mac, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch 1 & 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, VR, and – as now – iPhone and iPad. No Man’s Sky is said to work with iPhone 11 and above, as well as 3rd Generation iPad Air and above, with the first bit of the exploratory space sim available to try for free. Mobile players can expect custom touch controls, all 40+ previously released updates, and a svelte 4GB download size.
So there you go! Full patch notes for No Man’s Sky’s Forsaken update can be found on Hello Games’ website. And if you’re in the mood for a bit more related reading, Eurogamer recently spoke to the No Man’s Sky players building utopia at the end of the universe – and it’s a fascinating story.
