No Man's Sky 7.0 'Cosmos' Update Overhauls Deep Space for 10th Anniversary

Hello Games has released the 'Cosmos' update (version 7.0) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of No Man's Sky. The massive patch fundamentally overhauls the experience of deep space, shifting the game's focus from simple planet-hopping to true space-faring.

The update introduces 'Station Directorship,' a feature that allows players to buy, build, and decorate their own space stations. Beyond management, the update adds 'spacewalks,' enabling players to exit their ships during flight using a six-degrees-of-freedom movement system. Additionally, the patch introduces orbital bases—modular, free-floating structures—and massive 'space hulks' designed for deep-space salvage. To mark the anniversary, the 'Our Journey Continues' Expedition brings back a resurrected and reanimated diplodocus companion originally seen in pre-release footage. The update is available across all platforms, including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and both the original Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.

A Decade of Redemption

No Man's Sky launched in 2016 to a polarized reception, with critics and players noting a significant gap between the promised features and the final product. However, the title has since become a primary industry case study in redemption. Through a decade of continuous, massive free updates, Hello Games has systematically added the depth and complexity missing at launch. The Cosmos update targets the 'empty space' between planetary systems, an area of the game that had remained largely unchanged for ten years.

Transforming the Void

By introducing station ownership and free-flight spacewalking, Hello Games is addressing one of the longest-standing criticisms of the title: that the space between planets felt more like a loading screen than a playable environment. This shift changes the core gameplay loop, giving players a reason to exist in the vacuum of space rather than treating it as a mere transit corridor. The addition of orbital bases and salvageable hulks further populates the void, adding tangible objectives to deep-space exploration.

The Path Forward

As No Man's Sky enters its second decade, the Cosmos update signals a move toward more complex, player-driven infrastructure in the galaxy. While the 7.0 patch provides the tools for station management and orbital construction, the long-term impact will depend on how these systems integrate with the game's existing economy and multiplayer social hubs. Players will now be watching to see if this overhaul of the void leads to more interactive deep-space encounters or further expansions of the game's modular building systems.