Hello Games founder Sean Murray has revealed new details on the upcoming No Man’s Sky 4.0 update, which arrives October 7, 2022 alongside its new release on Nintendo Switch. He describes new modes and changes coming in the major patch like a new Relaxed mode, a revamped Survival mode, and tools for custom games. With more than 20 free updates to No Man’s Sky since its launch in August 2016, it remains one of the few success stories for a game that was once considered broken and disappointing at the beginning.
No Man’s Sky 4.0 patch focuses on streamlined, customizable content
In general, this major update is meant to widen accessibility, giving new players an easier time in getting used to all of the game’s features since launch with a streamlined tutorial, and providing veteran players with more options.
In the Eurogamer interview, Murray describes Relaxed mode, which is compatible with a new or old save, as a “very fun version of No Man’s Sky where the focus is on exploration, less on just surviving and grinding.” Custom games will allow players to change everything from controls to difficulty and other options that adjust the pacing of the game.
Murray also finds that Survival mode is only strongest in the first few hours of the game, so Hello Games has made the mode a “more challenging, more unique experience.”