Hello Games Introduces No Man’s Sky: Omega Expedition, Free Trial Weekend Available Now

Hello! Over the years, we’ve seen many players on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, PC and Game Pass venture into No Man’s Sky’s universe and lose themselves in all there is to do, in some cases for hundreds of hours. Last year was a busy one for the small team at Hello Games, with lots of No Man’s Sky updates and the announce of Light No Fire. We have big plans for 2024, and we’re starting the year off with a very different kind of update. We’re calling it OMEGA, and for the first time No Man’s Sky will be available to play for free! Expeditions in No Man’s Sky have become one of the most popular ways to play the game. They bring all players together to the same planet for an interstellar, shared experience. This weekend (Thursday 15th to Monday 19th February) we are allowing everyone, whether you own the game or not, to join the Omega Expedition.

This represents a moment for new players to try No Man’s Sky, and existing players to welcome them into the community. There are no microtransactions, no free to play mechanics, just a huge universe to explore for free with your friends. The Omega update also brings a complete overhaul of expeditions, new on-planet missions, a new pirate dreadnought to own, and much more. Until now expeditions have been their own game mode, but we wanted to fully integrate them into our main game. Now, our new expedition system allows Travellers to join expeditions with bespoke provisions, bring along their favourite starships or custom Multi-Tools and return to their main save with loot and exciting rewards. We have revisited the “Atlas Path”, allowing players to commune with the Atlas and honor it with a new Atlas staff, jetpack and helmet.

On planets we have introduced a huge array of procedurally generated quests. Talking to alien lifeforms results in quests specific to an alien lifeforms locale, climate and personality. For the first time, take on the universe with a fleet of frigates led by a Dreadnought capital ship. If players can defeat pirate freighters in combat, Travellers can board the Dreadnought to demand control.

At the core of this update is the Omega expedition, which has been built from the ground up as a perfect introduction for new players, but with some of the best rewards in any expedition to date, including a gorgeous new starship to explore the universe with.

In the almost eight years since launch, through over 25 free updates, the No Man’s Sky universe has become at times overwhelming in breadth and depth. Through a series of quick missions and milestones, the Omega expedition will guide you through the fundamentals of base-building, trading, space combat, lore and much, much more. Any progress you make will be retained in case you choose to purchase the game and continue your journey.

The Omega Expedition runs for 4 weeks from Thursday 15th February and is free to play for the first weekend until Monday 19th February.

Whether you’ve been on the journey with us for a while, or you’re a lapsed player looking for a way back in, or a newcomer who’s always wanted to take a peek at what No Man’s Sky has to offer, everyone is welcome and there’s never been a better time to join in.

Our journey continues.

• Sean Murray, Founder, Hello Games