First look at STARSEEKER and new Megatech details!

Today we finally broke our vow of silence (blame it on sound not traveling through space), we hosted our STARSEEKER Direct livestream to deep dive into what kind of game STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions will be and even had a “one more thing” moment to share more details about ASTRONEER’s Megatech DLC.

There’s still much work left to be done, but we’ve just been too anxious to share it with you all! Bear in mind, though, that some things are still works in progress and might change between now and launch.

STARSEEKER Gameplay Reveal

If you haven’t had the chance to watch the STARSEEKER Direct yet, you can watch the full VOD on our YouTube channel!

It’s only a few weeks ago at PAX that we gave players a small glimpse of STARSEEKER, but today we’ve shared a much larger overview of what the vision of STARSEEKER is meant to be; its gameplay loop, some of its mechanics, and even a few of the creatures you might encounter. But...

What is STARSEEKER?

We’ve given you the broad idea before, this is a game about discovery, cooperative expeditions, and camaraderie. Exploring deep space on the ESS Starseeker, you will need to work together with the entire crew of the space station to complete planet-wide objectives across a multitude of star systems wielding advanced future tech.

To be more specific, you’ll be teaming up with other members of the ESS Starseeker into 4-player squads to embark on expeditions. These are timed planetside adventures for you and your squad to explore, complete objectives, then finally loot and scoot, but you’ll most likely get into some delightful shenanigans along the way.

While on a planet’s surface, you’ll run into dangerous creatures, unique encounters, and precious materials to scoop up. But be warned, players are not always expected to succeed! You will need to use all of your advanced tech and collaborate with your crew if you want to return to the ESS Starseeker with your hard-earned goods.

If you do manage to survive an expedition, then you’ll return up to the space station to earn all of your sweet rewards and rep gains from the Fronteer Force, the legendary superteam of absurd action science heroes in charge of the Starseeker. But you can never take the desire for adventure away from an Astroneer, so gear up and plan for your next expedition.

Moment to Moment Gameplay

Your goal on an expedition is not to come in guns blazing to save humanity from an intergalactic threat - our heroics aren’t quite so violent, but still action-packed. Treacherous terrain, troublesome flora and fauna, and of course the ever-present limited oxygen that sets a timer to any expedition are just some of the challenges you’ll face.

To face these challenges, you can pack a veritable Swiss army knife of gear for every occasion (though you may need to prioritize). ASTRONEER veterans will already be familiar with the trusty EXO Tool, which is still key to your expeditionary kit, but it’ll do more than just dig up terrain or scoop up resources (which it also does).

Through a variety of nozzle upgrades, your EXO Tool can aid you in a variety of ways, like keeping rowdy critters at bay with a powerful air blast or water hose (or squad members too, if you’re feeling mischievous). You can also get creative - use your air blasts for mid-air jumps, chuck globs of soil to build bridges, or combine tools for unique effects.

And this isn’t the only tool in your kit. Your