After ten years and 40 major updates, players have explored under 1% of No Man’s Sky’s planets.

Ten years ago this month, Hello Games launched No Man’s Sky on PC and PS4. According to Sean Murray, the studio’s development chief, even after a decade and millions of players exploring its expansive universe, the community has only scratched the surface, with less than one percent of the game’s content explored.

On August 10, Murray shared an open letter to the No Man’s Sky community, celebrating the game’s 10th anniversary and its journey through numerous free updates that have significantly enhanced the experience. He noted that 2026 marked the highest player count since the game’s launch, a remarkable turnaround considering the initial reception, which was often critical of the studio’s ambitious promises. Fast forward to 2026, and the game has transformed into a beloved title.

One of the most intriguing points from Murray’s letter is that, despite millions of players venturing through the game’s universe, over 99 percent of its planets remain untouched. This isn’t surprising given that No Man’s Sky boasts an astounding 18 quintillion planets, with estimates suggesting it would take players over 500 billion years to explore them all.

Another encouraging detail is that most of the original team behind No Man’s Sky is still with the studio, actively working on future updates while also developing their next exciting project, Light No Fire.

“As long as the team is enjoying creating ever-more imaginative additions to the game,” Murray expressed, “and as long as there’s a passionate and supportive community enjoying what we create, I’d love for this journey to continue.”

Here’s Murray’s full open letter.

Hello!

I feel surprisingly emotional today. Ten years ago, on August 9, 2016, travelers across the universe set foot on their first alien planet in No Man’s Sky.

Whether you were there from the start or joined later, it’s incredible to think that all around the universe, other Travelers have awakened on countless planets, light years apart. They took their first steps on their first planet, collectively bringing a new, unexplored universe to life.

Since then, millions of players have made No Man’s Sky their home, crafting incredible bases, forming communities, making friends, and designing uniquely creative ships.

Reaching a ten-year milestone is a significant achievement for any game, and it’s especially true for No Man’s Sky. This speaks volumes about the dedication of both the team and the players, as we’ve seen our highest player numbers this year and received accolades for best evolving game.

Over the past decade, No Man’s Sky players have joined us on a journey of growth, expansion, and deepening the game’s potential. With 40 major updates, all free, we’ve enriched our sandbox universe with base-building, exocraft, settlements, mechs, pets, living ships, expeditions, and have reimagined the universe multiple times. Support for various platforms, including Switch, Xbox, VR, PSVR, Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X, has been added along the way. In fact, No Man’s Sky is available on nearly as many platforms as there are team members!

It became somewhat of a meme when I held up the gold master disc of No Man’s Sky, but I’m proud to say that most of the people in that photo are still with Hello. The No Man’s Sky team has evolved over the years, but it hasn’t grown significantly in size.

Since then, tens of millions of Travelers have spent hundreds of millions of hours exploring and sharing their discoveries, making the universe more vibrant than ever. The Voyagers update released last year attracted more players than we’ve seen since launch, yet even now, players have explored less than 1% of the planets in No Man’s Sky.

Similarly, our small team feels there’s still much to explore in what No Man’s Sky can become. Behind the scenes, we’re busy working on our next game, Light No Fire, and planning exciting future updates, including a tease for our upcoming update titled “COSMOS.” More details will follow!

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to work with such talented individuals on a game I love, alongside one of the friendliest communities in gaming. If you’re reading this, it’s because you’ve shown us kindness over the years, big or small, which helps Hello Games continue our work. For that, I am truly grateful.

Thank you so much,

Sean.