A Decade of Evolution
Hello Games, the Guildford-based studio behind the space exploration phenomenon No Man’s Sky, officially marked the game’s 10th anniversary on August 9, 2026. In an open letter to the community, studio head Sean Murray confirmed that despite a decade of development and 40 major free updates, the studio remains committed to the title, announcing an upcoming update titled “Cosmos.”
The announcement arrives at a period of high performance for the game. According to Murray, the title has seen its highest player engagement numbers this year since its initial 2016 launch. This trajectory stands in stark contrast to the game’s origins, which were defined by a difficult launch and significant public criticism regarding missing features. Over the subsequent years, the studio’s model of consistent, free content drops—including base-building, VR integration, and cross-platform support—has effectively reversed the initial “mostly negative” Steam rating to become a benchmark for long-term live service support.
The ‘Cosmos’ Update and Future Stakes
While details regarding the content and release date of the “Cosmos” update remain undisclosed, the announcement signals that the studio is not yet ready to sunset the project. No Man’s Sky currently functions across a wide array of platforms, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch, with the studio also confirming support for newer hardware iterations like the Nintendo Switch 2.
The longevity of the game is particularly notable given the studio’s modest size. Murray noted that many of the original team members who worked on the game’s initial gold master disc remain with the studio today. This consistency in staffing, combined with the game’s massive, largely unexplored procedural universe—where players have reportedly charted less than 1% of the available planets—provides the foundation for continued development.
Simultaneously, Hello Games is managing the development of its next major IP, Light No Fire. The studio has successfully leveraged the revenue and community goodwill generated by No Man’s Sky to fund this transition. While Light No Fire is expected to launch after 2026, the studio maintains that it is “busy cooking” on both projects, balancing the maintenance of a decade-old legacy title with the technical demands of a new, ambitious sandbox.