Following a rocky release in 2016, No Man's Sky has gone from strength to strength as developer Hello Games worked to correct its inherent flaws and expand its qualities as a multiplayer sci-fi sandbox of infinite proportions.
Last year, the studio released No Man's Sky Next - an all encompassing free expansion that coincided with the Xbox One release of the procedural space exploration sim - but this is apparently just the beginning for creator Sean Murray, who has today announced the next evolution of his game with No Man's Sky Beyond.
In a press release, Murray calls No Man's Sky Beyond the "most ambitious chapter so far", which will be rolling out this Summer for free to any owner of the base game, and made up of three major updates rolled into one uniform expansion.
The best No Man's Sky bases, including Daleks, Goombas and Homer Simpson’s half finished head
The first of these updates is called No Man's Sky Online, and though specific gameplay details remain light for now, Murray says that it "includes a radical new social and multiplayer experience which empowers players everywhere in the universe to meet and play together."
While No Man's Sky Online will borrow elements from the MMO scene, however, don't expect any subscription fees or microtransactions. Like that of No Man's Sky Next, Beyond is a free gift from Hello Games to its community of active players, and Murray promises to continue supporting No Man's Sky well into the foreseeable future.
Hello Games will apparently reveal more details about No Man's Sky Beyond in the coming weeks and months leading up to its release, including the nature of the other two updates that will join with No Man's Sky Online. For now, though, you can check out the brief teaser trailer in the video above, which is annoyingly inspired by the Alien title credit. Prove me wrong.
For help thriving in Hello Games' procedural expanse, read up on our guide on how to make money fast in No Man's Sky.
