Most Recent: PC

As promised, Hello Games has released the “Foundation Update” (Version 1.1) for No Man’s Sky. The update, which will be the first of many free updates, includes all of the new base-building options the developer talked about on Friday… along with a few surprises.

In addition to building a homestead, Version 1.1 of No Man’s Sky will allow players to create a Hydroponic Lab within their base and grow different plants. These plants will provide “a steady supply of resources” and eventually lead to the discovery of new resource elements. And for players who want to venture away from their base, they’ll be able to make camp anywhere with Save Points and color-coded Waypoints.

However, if you’d prefer to always be on the move, players can purchase a Freighter to move large amounts of resources across the galaxy. Freighters can also be crewed by three other characters to research new technologies. And speaking of resources, the “Foundation Update” will also add new biome and star-specific resource types to the game, as well as a simplified user interface.

But the biggest change to No Man’s Sky is the addition of three new game modes, including a brutal (and “much more challenging”) Survival Mode:

• Normal Mode is the original chilled exploration experience
• Creative Mode allows players to explore the universe without limits, and build a huge base
• Survival Mode really changes the game, creating a much more challenging endurance experience

A trailer offering more details about No Man’s Sky’s “Foundation Update” is embedded above, and the full Patch Notes can be found at the game’s official website.

It’s been a rough road for No Man’s Sky, and developer Hello Games, since its launch back in August. Many fans felt cheated by drastic departures the final game took from early teaser trailers and promises made by Director Sean Murray. Others, like our own Mike Ryan, were more forgiving, but he also found No Man’s Sky to be just average.

However, massive changes are coming to No Man’s Sky, beginning with a major update scheduled to launch this week. Known as the “Foundation Update,” Hello Games discussed how it’ll serve as a base for future updates to the game on their official website:

We’re calling it The Foundation Update, because we have added the foundations of base building, and also because this is putting in place a foundation for things to come.

The message from Hello Games only lightly brushed up against the public’s mostly negative reaction to No Man’s Sky, but the team also said they are listening to fan feedback and will use it to shape the game going forward:

In the nine weeks since then our small team has been hard at work on development, testing and certification for the Foundation Update. It won’t be our biggest update, but it is the start of something.

The discussion around No Man’s Sky since release has been intense and dramatic. We have been quiet, but we are listening and focusing on improving the game that our team loves and feels so passionately about. Positive or negative feedback, you have been heard and that will truly help to make this a better game for everyone.

And they closed their first communication in a very long time with a promise that bigger things are on the way: “This update will be the first small step in a longer journey.”