Where Starfield Stumbled, No Man’s Sky’s Voyagers Update Thrives With a Soaring Player Base

Key highlight

• The Voyagers update for No Man’s Sky is a free update which caused a massive rise in the game’s concurrent player count. 
• The update features the Corvette Ship Class and lets you build and customize your ship to a great degree. 
• The entire content in the update is built on the tech that’s being used for Hello Games’ upcoming title, Light No Fire. 

No Man’s Sky has a very loyal fanbase, the Voyagers update just proved how addicted fans are to this game. In essence, this title is a space exploration game, with very little focus on combat. Your job is to explore different planets and build bases that can help make your exploration easier. 

Although it had an extremely disastrous launch, its redemption arc is something more stellar than that of Cyberpunk 2077. Since No Man’s Sky revolves around space exploration, it was only natural that Starfield would be compared to it. Despite being seven years younger to it, Bethesda’s space exploration RPG continues to pale in comparison to what this indie hit has to offer. 

Since the community is so supportive, the developers keep releasing surprise updates, loaded with features that make gameplay more addictive. The Voyagers update is one such patch, which provides players with the tools to build the spacecraft of their dreams. 

The No Man’s Sky Voyagers Update Sees Player Counts Skyrocket Following Release

At the time of writing this article, No Man’s Sky is sitting at 36,000 concurrent players. Although it’s nowhere close to the peak player count of 212,000 players, it’s still more than thrice of what it was 48 hours ago. 

Thanks to the Voyagers update, you will now be able to build multi-crew ships by using the different tools at your disposal. From custom wings, hulls and engines, to internal rooms like medical bays and war rooms, everything is customizable and you can decorate it as you please. It’s one of the biggest updates that the game has seen so far, and is proof that the community will engage if the content that the game offers is good and provides a sense of achievement. 

No Man’s Sky Voyagers

:rocket:Corvette Ship Class
:building_construction:Assemble Ships
:muscle:Multiplayer Crew
:satellite_antenna:Mission Radar
:pilot:Autopilot in Space
:satellite:Space walking
:ringed_planet:New missions
:art:StarShip Interiors
:astronaut:New Spacesuit
:parachute:Sky diving
:heart_eyes:Graphical Improvements
:aeroplane:Varied Cockpits
:trident:New Expedition

A free update pic.twitter.com/JZMshyXoSG

— Sean Murray (@NoMansSky) August 27, 2025

It’s believed that the tech used to create the content for the No Man’s Sky Voyagers update is the one on which Hello Games’ next title, Light No Fire, is based on. If an update such as this is capable of bringing in a swarm of players, Light No Fire could see a massive influx of players too, primarily based on the quality of the experience that it’ll have to offer. 

Also read: Leaked Battlefield 6 Camos Suggest EA is Avoiding a Major Call of Duty Error

How Does It Compare to Starfield? 

Starfield and No Man’s Sky are two completely different games. The former is a roleplaying game, while the latter is a survival/exploration title. The only thing common between both is the space exploration bit. The outer space in Starfield is extremely bland, and the options that you have, when it comes to building your own spaceship, is limited to a certain degree. The planets that the game features have little to no difference at all, and are mostly templates that are applied across the board. 

No Man’s Sky on the other hand, has a very vibrant set of planets and every exploration seems and feels worthwhile. There are a lot of unique activities that you can participate in, which makes your overall space-faring experience rewarding. 

Although Starfield does have its own set of issues, there’s still work going on in the background as Bethesda plans to release updates that will make space exploration more rewarding. What these rewards are, and how they’ll make it a more engaging experience remains to be seen. There’s no expected date for these updates, so you’ll have to wait for it.

If Bethesda’s struggling for inspiration, then all they need to do is take a look at how No Man’s Sky does their space exploration. It’s something that has captivated audiences for a while now. If Bethesda were to follow how Hello Games has dealt with space, and then apply their own formula to it, Starfield is bound to be the hit that it was destined to be.