No Man’s Sky drops hefty free Forsaken update just in time for Halloween

No Man’s Sky is, once again, surprising players with yet another free update, and you have to wonder whether the game’s developers at Hello Games ever sleep?

Today is the day that No Man’s Sky ambitiously launches on iPad and iPhone via the App Store, with all 40-plus of the game’s previous updates included in the iOS build.

What’s now been revealed, however, is that No Man’s Sky’s iOS launch has been accompanied by a brand new update that’s available across all platforms.

PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and mobile players can all now enjoy the surprise new Forsaken update, which has landed just in time for Halloween.

According to No Man’s Sky creator Sean Murray, in a press release, the update will allow players to “explore the darker side of the [game’s] universe”.

Every major new feature in the No Man’s Sky Forsaken update

Hello Games

Essentially, the Forsaken update tasks you with searching for both “rare haunted tech” and “biological horrors”, which means visiting the spookiest parts of No Man’s Sky.

Derelict hulks, abandoned freighters, dig sites, and infested outposts are all among the types of places you’ll find the aforementioned tech and horrors.

According to Murray, “These strange and haunted mementoes have attracted several enigmatic traders from all corners of the universe, all set upon gathering the samples for their collections, and looking to trade.”

If you do locate some mementoes from these creepy sites, you can trade them with vendors and secure yourself some new biomechanical corvette modules in the process.

These modules allow you to craft “beautiful and strange corvette exteriors”, perfect for those who prefer creepy and sleek ship designs.

The update also introduces new cockpit designs as well as “a new interior inspired by a distant galaxy”.

That’s far from all, as Forsaken also includes new weapon and space suit styles that you can trade for: “Determined scavengers will be rewarded with the grotesque new larva tank helmet, and even a wriggling grub cannon multi-tool (for the right quantity of preserved grubs).”

Away from cosmetics, you can look forward to new postal missions which see you step into the shoes of a delivery driver.

There’s a new radial menu for weapon selection too, plus a new minimal HUD mode, both of which have been introduced based on feedback from players.

Finally, the team at Hello Games has added seamless warping to nearby stars, so players can simply lock on to a specific star to begin travelling, ridding them of the need to visit the galactic map.

Again, the update is free and available to download now across all platforms, so that’s a nice little midweek treat.

READ MORE: No Man’s Sky’s Sean Murray Has Big Plans For The Game’s Future

As for the new iOS port, if you have an iPhone 11 or above or a 3rd Generation iPad Air or above, you can actually sample No Man’s Sky’s new port for free, with a generous free demo taking you through the game’s opening.

This is No Man’s Sky’s 10th anniversary year, so it’s no real surprise that Hello Games is looking to go out with a bang.

Forsaken and the new iOS port join Remnant, Xeno Arena, The Swarm, and Cosmos in making up 2026’s new content offerings for No Man’s Sky. Bravo team, bravo.