No Man’s Sky NEXT update introduces multiplayer, third-person mode and more

Update – 24/07/2018: 

The long-awaited NEXT Update is now live across PS4 and PC, with the full experience having launched on Xbox One today. Weighing in at 9.6GB, some fans are considering it No Man’s Sky 2 in all but name. You can check the full list of patch notes here.

Hello Games has announced a new update for No Man’s Sky and it’s shaping up to be the biggest one yet.

Known as the NEXT Update, it will bring a range of new features to No Man’s Sky including fully-fledged multiplayer and the ability to play from a third-person perspective.

This means you’ll now be able to team up with friends or strangers and see them exploring planets as they gather resources, fight hostile creatures and discover the unknown.

NEXT will launch on July 24 as a free update for all players across PS4, PC and Xbox One, a date which also marks the game’s debut on Microsoft’s platform.

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Multiplayer is accompanied by big improvements to base building mechanics. They can now be constructed anywhere on the planet(s) with increased complexity and the ability to earn multiple across the galaxy.

The third-person perspective applies to exploring on foot, in vehicles and across the reaches of outer space in your ship. So, you’ll be able to see environments and friendly players without any trouble, although, we assume first-person is still an option.

A visual overhaul results in more complex geometry and environments that appear more pleasant whether you’re on a planet’s surface or circling a giant space freighter. Thanks to improved procedural technology, biomes should be far less repetitive, too. 

Command Freighters are finally being introduced in the NEXT update. You’ll be able to assemble a group of smaller ships and command them from the bridge, sending them out to explore a specific system or attack hostile enemies.

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Writing on the official website, Hello Games Sean Murray expresses how important this update is to the No Man’s Sky development team:

“This is an incredibly important update for us, but it’s also just another step in a longer journey, and we’ll continue to support No Man’s Sky in this way for the foreseeable future.

On behalf of myself, and the team at Hello Games I just want to say – Thank you. We are so excited to have made NEXT, and to continue to improve and develop No Man’s Sky, because of you, the community who play, explore and share this universe with us. It means so much to us.”

Despite launching to underwhelming critical reception and controversy due to the game’s lacking content, it finally feels like No Man’s Sky is meeting its initial vision, and it’s difficult not to praise Hello Games for its efforts.

Will you be checking out this upcoming update? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter @trustedreviews.