What changed in Stellaris in 2021

The C6 Mod is now available, allowing players to play as the C6 character.

The 3.2 'Herbert' Update, named after Frank Herbert, has been released.

Announcement of the Custodian Initiative and the release of the first Custodian patch with the 3.1 'Lem' Update.

A number of updates to 3.0 have been released with bug fixes and improvements based on community feedback.

The 3.0 'Dick' Update, named after Philip K Dick, added the Intel system and Espionage Operations.

New content added to the Plantoids- and Humanoids Species Packs.

The Aquatics Species Pack, featuring swolephins, is released and is the best-selling and best-reviewed species pack of all time.

AI will better manage multicultural planets, especially regarding slaves and robots.

AI allies will better coordinate with player fleets during wars and crises, enhancing their effectiveness.

AI will have scaling economic plans that increase income targets beyond +500 to improve late-game competitiveness.

AI will learn to prioritize jobs effectively to avoid wasting potential in machine empires.

AI will prioritize colonization and improve early growth by focusing on planets over upgrading corvettes.

AI will learn to specialize planets into Generator, Industry, Forge, and Mining worlds for optimized output.

AI will be taught to avoid deadlocks caused by simultaneous deficits in food and consumer goods.

Plans to add new content to older DLCs, specifically focusing on buffing Nemesis and Necroids.

A rework of the Unity system is in progress, targeting the 3.3 February Update with potential for an open beta.

A variety of improvements, bug fixes, and content additions are planned for future updates.

A new Situations system is being created to manage in-game struggles like Deficits and Revolts, to be released over multiple updates.

Further enhancements to AI, including economic improvements and adjustments to the Take Point feature.

Inspired by high seas adventure fiction.

Enhancements to AI economy and construction behaviors.

Includes 15 new portraits plus a new Robotic portrait.

Enhance terraforming abilities for ocean worlds and harvest ice asteroids.

Addressed issues with fleet sizes and reinforcement paths.

Become interstellar seafood harvesters, utilizing seafood and rare pearls in your economy.

Inspired by high-seas adventure fiction.

Enhanced ship browser for viewing ships in empire creation.

Allows the use of the Expand Planetary Sea decision on Ocean Worlds and unlocks the Deluge Colossus Weapon.

Harvest the Bounty of the Deep, Agriculture Districts produce Angler and Pearl Diver jobs.

Choose to originate on a large Ocean Paradise world with increased pop happiness, output, and growth.

The Aquatics Species Pack is now available, introducing new aquatic-themed content.

New ship set themed around aquatic civilizations.

Specialize your species for living on Ocean worlds, with penalties for Cold and Dry planet types.

Aquatics Species Pack releases November 22nd for USD $9.99, introducing new species traits and gameplay mechanics.

Start guarded by a sage-blue space dragon, which will protect you as long as you keep it happy.

Various bug fixes included in the 3.2 update.

AI now uses a single base plan with sub plans for better adaptability and reduced economic collapses.

Gain production and habitability bonuses for living on Ocean worlds.

Includes 'Here Be Dragons' and 'Ocean Paradise'.

New civic for Humanoids Species Pack allowing diplomatic playstyle for Xenophobes.

Optimizations to various game systems to reduce late game slowdown.

Chance to trigger random events during terraforming, enhancing the experience.

Cut Necrophage pop assembly penalty to 50% from 75%.

Reduced the ship upkeep cost modifier for clone army admirals to 5/10/20% based on their decisions.

Made pop output modifiers (positive and negative) no longer apply to hive minds.

Made Awakened Fallen Empires use Traditions (but not Ascension Perks).

Devouring Swarm Necrophages now spawn with extra infrastructure to account for the lack of chambers of elevation.

Made the -50% organic upkeep also apply to energy, for photosynthesis.

Progress made on porting the EU4 script profiler to Stellaris, with plans to release it to modders in the future.

Several productivity-improving technologies are now no longer of dubious benefit, as their upkeep (and production) effects now only apply to jobs actually primarily producing resources.

Ruins of Shallash arc site no longer has a chance of giving quite as much unity as defeating an endgame crisis.

Reduced the amount of jobs added by Leisure Arcology Districts to bring them into line with other Ecumenopolis districts.

Ion cannons are no longer free to maintain, and have an upkeep cost of 8 energy.

Reduced the free building slots granted from 2 to 1.

Identified and fixed performance issues related to script execution and game rules recalculation.

Pops working the Livestock job now have 10% less political power.

A lot of anomalies were rewarding 3 Society Research deposits, there is now more variety.

Nerve Stapled Hivemind pops can no longer perform complex drone jobs.

Agrarian Idyll empires now get one planet building slot per four Agricultural districts built.

You can no longer use planet killer weapons on primitives inside your borders if you lack the appropriate primitive interference policies.

Final design and rendering process for the Aquatic Machine Portrait, showcasing detailed lighting and materials.

Process of creating event images for the new aquatic species, including sketches and final illustrations.

Overview of the animation techniques used to bring the new aquatic species portraits to life.

Conceptual designs for new alien species, including a squid-like species with distinct emotional narratives.

Detailed exploration of the art and design process for the new Aquatics species in Stellaris.

New character portraits inspired by deep sea creatures, showcasing unique designs and narratives.

New zero point cost Aquatic species trait for species starting on Ocean Worlds.

New civic that replaces Farmer jobs with Anglers and Pearl Divers.

New Ascension Perk that allows mining ice and expanding ocean worlds.

Introduction of a new aquatic-themed robotic portrait.

Introduction of the Aquatic Species Pack featuring new content for Stellaris.

New ship set designed with an aquatic theme.

New origin that allows players to start on a large resource-rich ocean planet.

New origin that allows players to start with a symbiotic relationship with an Ether Drake.

Addition of 15 new Aquatic Portraits for player customization.

Introducing the Aquatics Species Pack with new species portraits, ship set, origins, and customization options.

AI now more likely to terraform and select appropriate techs and perks.

New random events for terraforming that vary in power and complexity.

New anomalies added to orphaned categories to enhance anomaly variety.

The improved ship browser for empire creation will be available to all players.

A new civic for Humanoids Species Pack that allows for a diplomatic playstyle for xenophobes.

Code optimizations to improve AI performance and correct unintended behaviors.

Focus on improving AI behavior and responsiveness to player feedback.

Revised economic plans script to enhance AI economic behavior and flexibility.

AI now prioritizes basic income and adjusts focus based on resource availability.

AI can now toggle subplans based on economic situations for better resource management.

AI can now utilize diverse setups for starbases, including special buildings.

Ancient Clone Vats can now only assemble Clone Soldier pops.

Fixed players being able to move their Science Ship to blow up systems using the “Elder One” event.

Fixed a crash where releasing a vassal as a Clone Army could cause an invalid species.

Fixed the Clone Army origin tooltip not having a matching ship upkeep reduction with their admirals. Changed the bonus to scale in a cleaner way, the upkeep is now 5/10/20% based on the Army's decisions.

Fixed habitability of planets that clone armies have abandoned through lack of clone vats being locked at 0% for them.

Fixed exploit where AI acceptance from Eminent Diplomats tradition also applied to trade deals.

Going into a food deficit when using the Catalytic Processing civic will now give a -50% production penalty to alloy production.

The Genetic Crossroads special project will now abort if a species completes Synthetic Evolution before finishing it.

Ecumenopolis construction now considers planetary designation for arcology types.

Significant changes to the Necroids Species Pack, including civic and origin updates.

Negatives from living on a planet can no longer be gene-modded away.

Rogue Servitors can now build Ecumenopolis and have a special district for bio-trophies.

New Origin and two new civics added to the Humanoids Species Pack.

Plantoids and Fungoid species receive three new species traits and two new civics.

Three new Tradition Trees: Mercantile (free), Unyielding (requires Apocalypse), and Subterfuge (Requires Nemesis).

Existing Tradition Trees have undergone a balance pass.

Shattered Ring Origin now starts on a Shattered Ring segment, upgradeable to a Ringworld Segment.

New comprehensive script documentation folder replaces the old trigger_docs.log.

Ability to add triggered pop modifiers to traits for more dynamic gameplay.

Introduction of new effects, triggers, and modifiers for enhanced gameplay.

Traditions can now be scripted to become available based on in-game decisions.

Increased power of variables with new syntax and usage options.

Functionality for exporting trigger values to variables has been expanded.

Fixed issues with randomness in script functions and loops.

Transition from sprite sheets to string references for icons to improve mod compatibility.

Reduced enslaved population percentage for Slaver Guilds and Indentured Assets from 40% to 35%.

Subversive Cults can no longer access the Temple of Prosperity and can now establish a Subversive Shrine in branch offices.

Balance changes made to Hive-Minds and Machine Intelligences civics, including buffs to Subspace Ephase and Constructobot.

Multiple civics adjusted for balance, including Beacon of Liberty, Imperial Cult, and Environmentalist with various buffs.

Changed conversion of industrial districts on Ecumenopolis based on planetary designation, allowing for more flexible production.

Rebalanced Shattered Ring origin to decrease initial power while maintaining player fantasy. Supports various district types with mining districts replaced by scrap miner jobs.

Added 1 Consumer Goods upkeep to Scientist Jobs that create unity due to Technocracy.

Rogue Servitors can now access the Arcology Project ascension perk and decision to restore relic worlds into ecumenopolises.

Revised Void Dwellers trait to prevent exploitation through gene-modification. New modifiers include +15% Pop Resource Output on Habitats and -30% Happiness on Non-Artificial Worlds.

Replaces artisans with Artificiers, producing Consumer Goods, Trade Value, and Engineering Research.

Grants access to Decadent Lifestyle Living Standard, increasing happiness and consumer goods upkeep.

Allows empires to utilize Clone Soldiers, supported by Ancient Clone Vat buildings.

Players can now launch the Crossplay version directly from the launcher under 'Game Settings'.

Players can add '-nakama' as a launch option in Steam to switch to the Nakama backend for crossplay.

Replaced the internally developed PDXMP multiplayer backend with Nakama for cross-store PC multiplayer.

Three new Tradition Trees: Mercantile, Unyielding, and Subterfuge, with specific effects and unlock conditions.

Players can now choose which Tradition Tree to fill in the 7 available slots, enhancing customization.

Mind and Body now increases Leader Skill Cap; Kinship's demotion time effect buffed.

Adoption now increases Naval Cap; The Great Game now increases damage to Starbases.

Several traditions replaced and effects adjusted, including new Unity production and increased Diplomatic Weight.

Finisher now increases Stability instead of Merchant Jobs per Pops.

Judgment Corps now produces 1 Unity; Finisher increases ruler output or admin cap instead of monthly influence.

Introducing Phototrophic, Radiotrophic, and Budding traits for Plantoid or Fungoid species.

New Civics: Catalytic Processing and Idyllic Bloom available for regular empires and Hive Minds.

Dread Encampments can be built from day 1 and provide improved job outputs and army mechanics.

Changes made to balance Necrophages, including pop counts and primitive world conditions.

Sacrificing pops now yields better bonuses based on the percentage of total pops sacrificed.

Hive Minds can now be Necrophages, with unique mechanics and flavor texts.

Two new sliders added to galaxy generation to control pop growth behavior without the need for a mod.

Numerous economic and AI adjustments included in the 3.0.3 update.

Included missing non-English localisations in the 3.0.3 Open Beta.

Addressed missing and inaccurate localisations for non-English languages.

Enhanced AI effectiveness with a greater focus on economic stability and improved research behaviors.

Higher tier foundries and consumer goods plants now add flat bonuses to job output instead of adding more jobs.

Introduced Pop Growth Required and Pop Growth Ceiling sliders in the galaxy setup screen for better customization.

Reduced job counts on buildings and districts including Clerks, Alloy Foundries, and Consumer Goods plants.

The number of Clerk jobs provided by buildings and districts has been reduced by 40%.

Manufacturing focus buildings no longer prevent the other from being built and increase base production of jobs instead of adding jobs to Industrial Districts.

Added sliders in Galaxy Configuration to adjust logistic growth and population growth variables.

Non-English localization for the changes will not be available in the beta immediately but will be added shortly afterward.

Significant changes to AI behavior to improve effectiveness and economic stability.

Buildings that increase basic resource production now increase the base production of relevant jobs by 1 or 2 based on tier.

Clerk trade value has been increased to 4.

Announcement of the Stellaris 3.0.3 Open Beta now live for players to opt-in.

Adjustments made to the new population growth system introduced in 3.0.1 to address player concerns.

An open beta will be published to revise population growth changes based on community feedback.

Adjusted the value affecting growth required from the number of pops in the empire to prevent stagnation.

Extended the duration of the homeworld buff to 20 years as a quality of life improvement.

Added Colony Development Speed bonuses to civilian infrastructure technologies to speed up colonization.

Secondary resources like Research are intentionally more difficult to rush to prevent technological dominance.

Changing the Slave Processing Plant to expand automatic resettlement to slaves at a reduced rate instead of providing production bonuses.

Significantly reduced the number of pops in the galaxy and decreased disparity between empires with mass colonization and those with fewer planets.

Increased economic output of individual pops and other sources through various means, including buffed technologies and updated edicts.

Added assembly jobs to special planets like Hive World and Machine World to maintain their value.

Reduced the number of pops necessary to upgrade capital buildings to higher tiers.

Increased the floor of how low logistic growth penalties can drop planetary growth on highly developed worlds.

Fixed an issue where players couldn't play as the pre-scripted Human Empires.

Fixed an issue with the Big Red Button achievement not triggering before the game ended.

Addressing feedback on the economic rework and pop growth rebalancing; further tweaks planned based on community feedback.

Fixed an issue with Criminal Syndicates branch offices producing super negative trade due to crime, then multiplying it because of crime.

Reports about various graphical flickering issues acknowledged; a fix is in progress but not included in this hotfix.

The Nemesis expansion is now live as part of the 3.0.1 update.

Save file compatibility between versions is not guaranteed; players are advised to roll back to version 2.8.1 for important games.

Players can opt into the 'crossplay' branch in Steam for multiplayer with non-Steam platforms.

The 3.0.1 update includes a patch for the previous version 3.0.0, providing numerous fixes.

Restricted to Rogue Servitors, changing gameplay to focus on collecting organics and gaining bonuses for high Crime.

Players begin as the ruler of a primitive civilization with a significant tech disadvantage.

A variant on Void Dwellers where players start in a habitat after a galaxy-wide crisis.

A challenging origin where players and AI control the empire simultaneously, leading to potential conflicts.

An empire limited to colonizing stars with a chance of buildings being ruined each month due to fires.

Players can now perform 'evil' deeds and unlock rewards to dominate the galaxy through the Become the Crisis feature.

A new Intel system that enhances the early- and mid-game experience by allowing players to explore alien empires.

A new espionage system that enhances storytelling and information gathering, inspired by the archaeology system.

Introduction of the Galactic Imperium, allowing custodians to take power and create new diplomatic crises.

Introduction of a new Intel system that changes how players interact with information about alien empires.

Introduction of new Industrial Districts and changes to the production of Alloys and Consumer Goods.

The First Contact system has been reworked to include new interactions and potential pre-contact conflicts.

Changes to the pop growth system that impact early and mid-game gameplay.

Quality-of-life improvements to the outliner, including planet reordering.

A collection of various bug fixes and improvements to enhance gameplay.

A new Espionage system with Gather Intelligence Operations and simplified mechanics.

Error logging has been enhanced to provide more useful information.

New event types include leader_event, system_event, and espionage_operation_event.

Improvements made to ensure consistency across scripting implementations.

New scripting capabilities for spawning fleets and handling galcom resolutions.

Buttons now correctly execute effects based on their attached object's scope.

Modders can now add new operations similar to arc sites for espionage.

Ability to check distances of objects within the same solar system.

Modders can now overwrite the entire feature with custom progression scripts.

Old implementations replaced with script lists for consistent object referencing.

First contact is now a single event chain, with new scripting effects to manage it.

New operations and effects for variables, including modulo and rounding.

Introduced new system effects that evolve through different upgrade stages of the Aetherophasic Engine Frame.

Added unique visual effects for ship engines and explosions for Lithoids and Necroids to enhance their distinct styles.

Implemented a multi-stage visual effect for blowing up stars, including a buildup phase leading to a significant explosion.

The Galactic Imperium cannot be proclaimed during a War in Heaven.

Existing Galactic Defense Forces will be converted into the Imperial Armada.

The Galactic Emperor gains access to new resolutions and retains Custodian powers.

Players can proclaim the Galactic Imperium, transitioning from the Galactic Community.

New mechanics for rebellion and loyalty, affecting federations and diplomatic weight.

The Emperor gains a new unique Civic that does not occupy a Civic slot.

The Emperor's power is reflected in Imperial Authority, affecting gameplay dynamics.

Custodians gain special powers such as ending sessions early, proposing resolutions, and freezing proposals.

Introduction of new resolutions tied to the Custodian role in the Galactic Community.

Players can elect a Custodian from the Galactic Council to defend the galaxy during crises.

New expansion coming to Stellaris featuring espionage mechanics and options to become Galactic Custodian or a crisis.

Unlock new ships including Menacing Corvette, Menacing Destroyer, Asteroid Cruiser, and Star-Eater as players progress in the Crisis.

Players can now choose the 'Become the Crisis' Ascension Perk, allowing them to become a major threat in the galaxy.

The final Crisis Level unlocks an Aetherophasic Engine Frame in the capital system, requiring dark matter for upgrades.

Players can use the Star-Eater to gather dark matter, essential for upgrading the Aetherophasic Engine.

Players can progress through Crisis Levels by gaining Menace and completing special projects, unlocking new perks and ships.

New Operations that can cause diplomatic issues and are viewed as war crimes by the galaxy.

An extremely difficult Provocation requiring Infiltration level of 80 that adds the target's capital system as a target of interest to an ongoing End-Game Crisis.

A new advanced Provocation requiring Infiltration level of 60 to disrupt target empires by providing weapons and funding to violent individuals.

An Operation aimed at damaging relationships between empires.

An Operation that attempts to gain access to the research databases of target empires.

An Operation to gain new Assets for espionage activities.

Four categories of Operations introduced: Subterfuge, Sabotage, Manipulation, and Provocations.

Players can assign Assets to Operations to improve mission success rates.

A new Operation that allows players to covertly gather information on target empires.

Players can now build Spy Networks to gather Intel and run Operations within enemy empires.

Several civics, ascension perks, and edicts have been updated to support espionage mechanics.

Spy Networks can cap at 50, with potential increases from civics, edicts, and Assets.

Envoys can now build and manage Spy Networks to gather intelligence on other empires.

New technologies related to Encryption and Decryption have been added to the game.

Spy Networks grow over time, influenced by the size of the empire and the target empire's Encryption rating.

Spy Networks can perform Operations such as Subterfuge, Sabotage, Manipulation, and Provocations.