No Man’s Sky’s latest update lets players explore a lonely abandoned universe devoid of life

Exploratory space sim No Man’s Sky increasing tilt into the wonderfully bizarre continues today with the launch of a brand-new update, titled Adrift, which this time lets players explore an abandoned universe where civilisation has come to an end.

Adrift is, at least in part, a nod to No Man’s Sky’s earliest days – where lifeforms were scarce and exploration was an entirely solo, wonderfully lonely endeavour against a seemingly endless backdrop of stars. “There’s so much we love about the game now,” Hello Games says, “but there was something unique at release in how alone you felt in the universe.”

To that end, Adrift gives players the option to explore an alternative universe of broken, rusted buildings and lost Travellers graves, that’s free of other lifeforms, shops, trading, shortcuts, or help – all creating what Hello Games calls a “very different survival experience”.

The new universe isn’t completely devoid of activity, however; for reasons almost certainly related to the weird, Eldritch pockets of No Man’s Sky lore I never quite fully wrapped my head round, sandworms roam this dead expanse, and fiend eggs have spread across planets. Plus, the trailer suggests spectral entities and other abominations have made it through to the end of all things too.

Hello Games – which is also working on procedural fantasy adventure Light No Fire – says that while Adrift is a new limited-time Expedition (essentially a several-hour-long campaign built around a series of progression-based milestone challenges), it’s also an update that’s ballooned to be “filled with improvements, new unique gameplay content, and rewards.” It introduces the Iron Vulture – a bulky new Hauler starship and “safe haven” players can acquire as part of the update – as well as ghostly frigates to recruit in space. New ship customisation options can also be found – but, based on what’s been shared at the time of writing, it’s unclear if the alternative universe will remain accessible once the Expedition is over.

Adrift – which follows No Man’s Sky’s Omega and Orbital updates earlier this year – launches today for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC. Full patch notes can be found on the No Man’s Sky website, and the studio notes there’s “a lot [more] planned and still to announce”.