The Starside - June 18, 2026

It’s been a wild couple weeks, and we can’t wait to give you the full download!

We just got back from Los Angeles, where we met with press and creators attending Summer Game Fest. It was simply unbelievable to finally get to share what we’ve been working on, giving media and creators a chance to go hands-on with Stars Reach and experience a guided tour given by Raph himself!

But don’t take our word for it (we’re ALWAYS excited about what we’re working on). Instead, check out what members of the press are saying about their first encounter with Stars Reach!

Stars Reach could be the second coming of the sandbox MMO, with player-built cities and 40+ Star Wars Galaxies-style professions to give me hope (PC Gamer)

“The thing that really gives me hope are the things that Koster says players are already doing with this sandbox-level freedom—for example, one of playtesters' largest guilds is an animal conservation union: ‘They actually try to preserve all of the different species of animals and plants, because if you choose to pave this place over, you can actually drive the creatures extinct. That species will never appear again in the game.’” - Harvey Randall, PC Gamer

Hands-On Preview: Stars Reach Represents The Dream MMOs Have Promised For Decades, And I Can't Contain My Excitement

[Themepark MMOs] still feel limiting in the overall promise of what MMOs can be for me: expressions of gameplay freedom.

Stars Reach feels like an answer to that age-old desire. Presenting what feels like the ultimate sandbox, it's got shades of No Man's Sky's level of exploration freedom, with the possibilities to create meaningful in-game societies and cultures like an EVE Online. It's frankly massive skill tree looks like a natural evolution to the dream that Koster's old game, Star Wars Galaxies, hinted at, with combat and non-combat skills and roles providing immense value to the overall ecosystem and economy of Stars Reach.

And if that’s not enough for you, check out some of the other great coverage we’ve been receiving:

• Stars Reach's Raph Koster wants the MMO to be as "wiki-resistant" as possible to keep "the magic more alive” - PCGamesN

• Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies vet tells me the theme park 'assembly line' MMO just isn't viable anymore, especially as dev costs spike: 'We hit the wall” - PC Gamer (Yes! They wrote about us twice!)

• ‘Stars Reach’ Shoots For The Stars With Exploration And Player Expression - ButWhyTho

• CGMagazine’s Best of Summer Game Fest 2026 - CGMagazine

• One Of The Architects Of Star Wars Galaxies And UO Is Creating Something Even More Ambitious Than No Man's Sky - ScreenRant

• The 8 Indie Games From SGF 2026 That You Can’t Sleep On - comicbook.com

• Stars Reach Wants to Bring MMORPGs Back to Their Sandbox Roots, and It’s Got All the Right Ideas - Console Creatures

We expect more coverage will be rolling out over the coming weeks. We’ll be sure to share the latest with you as new interviews and hands-on previews pop up.

Join us for a Fireside Chat on Saturday, June 20 at 10 AM Pacific

Come join us on the Stars Reach Twitch Channel (View store page) on Saturday, June 20 at 10 AM Pacific as Raph discusses the latest developments, the current state of the game, and what to expect in the coming weeks.

Behind the Devs - The New World Generation System

In this episode of Behind The Devs, we sit down with Sean Grady to take a closer look at the new World Generation system coming to Stars Reach.

From massive mountain ranges and strange alien landscapes to erosion, topography, wildlife habitats, and biome distribution, we’re pulling back the curtain on how planets are being built for Early Access.

Check out the highlights from our latest community event

On Saturday, June 13, 2026, we held a community event, as teams of players adventured together out into the galaxy. Those of you who participated are going to see yourselves popping up across our channels! First up, we’re streaming the video on our Steam Store page! Go check it out!

Invites for new playtesters are open again!

And if you’re itching to get in and join the fun, we’re starting to welcome new playtesters to the party. Follow this LINK to get onboarded through Firstlook.

We’ll be bringing new players in wave by wave, so if you don’t see an invitation immediately please be patient!

And that’s all for this week! Now get out there, make some cool stuff, and don’t forget to fill out the new exit survey at the end of your play session.

We’ll see you in the Stars!