Nine years after a rocky launch, No Man’s Sky keeps doing the thing that turned its reputation around: shipping big, free updates that quietly expand the universe. The Cosmos update is the latest, and it aims squarely at the one place the game had left relatively untouched, the space between planets.
Cosmos, the game’s version 7.0 update, is live and free across every platform, and it rebuilds how players move through and live in space. Station ownership, a new system map, deep-space points of interest, alliances, and a tenth-anniversary expedition headline the changes. Here is a clear rundown of everything new and why it matters for both veterans and returning players.
The Short Version
The free Cosmos update (version 7.0) for No Man’s Sky launched in September 2026 across all platforms, overhauling space travel and habitation. Highlights include the ability to own and customize a space station, a new star-system map that surfaces points of interest and missions, deep-space exploration toward a system’s sun with new hazards and locations, player alliances for group play, orbital platforms to build bases in deep space, and a tenth-anniversary expedition celebrating the game’s long run of updates. It continues the studio’s pattern of major free content, and existing players get it all at no cost.
Space Station Ownership
The headline feature lets you run a space station. Players prove themselves to a station’s local authorities, become its director, and then customize the central lobby, add rooms, and decorate the exterior, as the studio detailed in its official Cosmos announcement. It turns stations from waypoints into personal hubs, a meaningful shift for a game that has steadily added ways to make the universe feel like home.
A New Star-System Map
Navigation gets a rethink too. A new star-system map is now the first screen you see after warping in, laying out points of interest and opening fresh mission chains. It makes each system feel like a place to explore deliberately rather than a backdrop you pass through, and it is the connective tissue tying the other new features together.
Deep-Space Exploration
Cosmos opens up the parts of a system players could not previously reach. Here is a sampling of what is now out there:
| New deep-space content | What it adds |
|---|---|
| Journey toward the sun | A perilous new objective into a system’s center |
| Asteroid belts | Rocky and icy fields to navigate and mine |
| Deep-space outposts | Inhabited and infested locations to discover |
| Hulks and debris fields | Procedurally generated wrecks to explore |
Together they give the empty void between planets a reason to slow down and look around.
Player Alliances and Orbital Bases
Cosmos also leans into social and creative play. Players can join galactic alliances for more friend-focused gameplay, and orbital platforms let you build a base on natural rock formations out in deep space, tucking constructions into dramatic terrain for striking backdrops. It extends the game’s beloved base-building into an entirely new setting, above the planets rather than on them.
The Tenth-Anniversary Expedition
Running alongside the update is a special expedition marking the game’s decade of life, with milestones that nod to the long series of updates No Man’s Sky has received since 2016. Expeditions are time-limited, goal-based journeys with unique rewards, and this one doubles as a victory lap for a title that famously rebuilt itself through years of free content, as coverage from Push Square noted.
Why It Matters
Cosmos reinforces the model that redeemed No Man’s Sky: substantial, free updates that reward loyalty instead of nickel-and-diming it. For veterans, it revitalizes the least-developed layer of the game; for lapsed or new players, it is a strong reason to jump back in, especially with an anniversary expedition running. In an era of paid add-ons, a big free overhaul remains a genuine draw. For more gaming coverage, browse Visboo’s Entertainment section and our Technology coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Cosmos update free?
Yes. Like the game’s other major updates, Cosmos (version 7.0) is free for existing players across all platforms, with no additional purchase required.
What is the biggest new feature?
Space station ownership is the standout. Players can become a station’s director and then customize its lobby, add rooms, and decorate the exterior, turning stations into personal hubs rather than simple stopping points.
What is new about exploration?
A new star-system map surfaces points of interest and missions, and deep space is now explorable, including a journey toward the sun, asteroid belts, deep-space outposts, and procedurally generated hulks and debris fields.
Can I play with friends?
Yes. Cosmos adds player alliances for more friend-focused, group-oriented play, alongside new orbital platforms that let you build bases out in deep space.
What is the anniversary expedition?
It is a special time-limited expedition celebrating the game’s tenth anniversary, with milestones nodding to the many updates released since 2016. Expeditions offer goal-based progression and unique rewards.
What This Means
Cosmos is another entry in one of gaming’s great redemption arcs, and it targets exactly the right gap: the space that used to be just a loading screen between worlds. Whether you never left or drifted away years ago, a free overhaul plus an anniversary expedition is an easy invitation to boot it up again. For more, keep an eye on our Entertainment coverage.