STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions — Everything We Know

Exciting news has arrived for fans of space exploration! System Era Softworks, the creative team behind the beloved game Astroneer, has announced a brand-new project: STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions. While set within the familiar Astroneer universe, the developers emphasize this is a completely new adventure, not a direct sequel.

This upcoming title promises a journey into deep space focused on discovery and teamwork. Players will join forces for cooperative expeditions, exploring the world together. Here, we’ve gathered all the official details revealed so far to give you a clear picture of what STARSEEKER entails.

What is STARSEEKER?

System Era Softworks has been very clear: STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions is not Astroneer 2. It exists in the same universe but is described as a “very different game”. The core experience centers on multiplayer cooperation, described as a “voyage of discovery, cooperative expeditions, and camaraderie”. This focus on teamwork and shared adventure sets it apart. And if you enjoyed exploring with buddies in Astroneer, STARSEEKER aims to give you even more reasons to team up and venture out.

STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions Story

So what’s the story? Details are scarce, but we do know the basic setup. The entire game is based aboard a massive space station called the ESS Starseeker, which serves as your home in the stars. In fact, the ESS Starseeker is described as the heart of the experience – a persistent, ever-evolving space station where you’ll plan expeditions, upgrade your gear, and hang out with other players between missions.

As a member of its crew, you’ll embark on deep-space missions across a multitude of star systems. On each expedition, players have to work together as an interstellar team to complete planet-wide objectives and face whatever challenges the galaxy throws at them. It seems the story will be more about exploring, discovering new things, and surviving dangers together rather than following a strict script.

STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions Gameplay

The heart of STARSEEKER’s gameplay will be teamwork and shared adventure. As a third-person sandbox, Astroneer let players freely explore and reshape planets. STARSEEKER builds on that foundation but shifts the focus to cooperative PvE play. You and your friends are on the same team against the environment (no PvP), still engaging in exploration and terrain deformation like before. However, this game is adding a bunch of new gameplay twists. For example, players now have advanced tools like scanning devices to analyze the environment, and new ways to get around such as being able to climb and even glide through alien landscapes.

Furthermore, planets in STARSEEKER are filled with alien life. You’ll encounter strange creatures, hazardous plants, and maybe even mysterious forces. These elements introduce new challenges. The worlds are not fully procedurally generated. Instead, each star system is more deliberately crafted, so everyone explores the same planets instead of random ones. In short, STARSEEKER’s gameplay keeps the chill exploration vibe of Astroneer but adds richer environments, new traversal methods, and a stronger sense of cooperative purpose.

Development

STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions is being developed by System Era Softworks (the creators of Astroneer) and published by Devolver Digital. The team has reassured fans that Astroneer is still in active development and is not going anywhere. In their announcement, they even said the original game will “continue to live on alongside its new companion” with more updates and content for years to come.

STARSEEKER was being built behind the scenes while Astroneer was still getting updates. So System Era has been planning this dual-project approach for a while. To make all of this happen, System Era has expanded their workforce so they can work on both games at once. They’ve essentially doubled down on development to ensure that launching a new title won’t slow down the original game. They’re even planning beta tests for STARSEEKER before launch, with sign-ups already available for eager explorers.

Trailer

The devs have shared a brief reveal trailer which doesn’t show any gameplay. It opens with a weird carrot-like creature and slowly introduces us to the vibrant worlds of STARSEEKER. The trailer clearly places the game in the Astroneer universe, with familiar visuals and art style. If you haven’t seen it yet, do check out the video embedded above!

STARSEEKER – Release Date, Platforms and Editions

STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions is set to launch sometime in 2026 and is confirmed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam. Basically, all the latest consoles and PC will be supported, so most players will have a way to join these expeditions on day one.

No special editions or pre-order bonuses have been announced at this stage. It’s simply too early for those details. And if you want to stay updated with latest information, you can follow the official social account of the game here.