Ten years after its initial launch, the vast procedural universe of Hello Games' No Man's Sky remains largely unexplored. According to a recent open letter from studio co-founder Sean Murray, less than one percent of the game's planets have been visited by its player base.
Murray marked the game's 10th anniversary on August 9th, reflecting on its journey from a controversial launch to a celebrated title with consistent, free updates. He noted that 2024 has seen the game's highest player numbers since its release, a significant achievement given its initial reception. "For any game to reach its ten-year milestone is impressive and I think that is especially true for No Man’s Sky," Murray stated in his letter. "It’s really a testament to the passion of the team here and of the players for the game, that this year we’ve seen our highest player numbers since launch, and won a TGA and BAFTA for best evolving game."
Despite millions of players spending hundreds of millions of hours exploring, the sheer scale of No Man's Sky is staggering. The game features 18 quintillion planets, a number so large that it would take an estimated 500 billion years for a single player to visit them all. This immense scope means that over 99 percent of the game's celestial bodies are still waiting for discovery.
Over the past decade, No Man's Sky has received 40 major, free updates. These updates have introduced a wealth of new features, including base-building, exocraft, settlements, mechs, pets, living ships, and numerous universe overhauls. The game has also expanded its reach across multiple platforms, including support for Switch, Xbox, VR, PSVR, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Murray expressed pride that most of the core team that worked on the original release remains at Hello Games, contributing to ongoing No Man's Sky development and their next project, Light No Fire.
"As long as the team are having fun conjuring up ever-crazier additions they want to add to the game, and as long as there is a passionate and positive community enjoying what they make, I’d love for this journey to continue," Murray told Xbox. He also teased an upcoming update for No Man's Sky titled "COSMOS." Murray concluded his letter by expressing gratitude to the players, stating, "If you’re reading this, then it is because you have shown us a kindness over that period. Big or small that helps Hello Games do what we do. For that, I am truly grateful."