Stellaris

Stellaris

Released May 2016

Explore a galaxy full of wonders in this sci-fi grand strategy game from Paradox Development Studios. Interact with diverse alien races, discover strange new worlds with unexpected events and expand the reach of your empire. Each new adventure holds almost limitless possibilities.

82% positive · 197K reviews
Not yet
Released, but content still planned
High confidence
Content Planned
Not yet
Released, but content still planned
High confidence
Content Planned

Where to buy

Steam $49.99 Green Man Gaming Steam key $49.99
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Evaluation

Stellaris launched on May 9, 2016 and has been in continuous active development for over a decade. The game is currently mid-cycle within a publicly announced Season 10 content roadmap. On April 29, 2026, Paradox announced Season 10 and named five content releases: Vipra the Vapor Species Portrait, Nomads, Willpower, Scenario Pack 1, and Scenario Pack 2. The first major expansion — Nomads — shipped on June 15, 2026, introducing nomadic empires, Arkships, the Wayline network, and more. Three DLC items from that roadmap remain unreleased on the store: Willpower (DLC-19), Scenario Pack 1 (DLC-29), and Scenario Pack 2 (DLC-30). As of today, October 8, 2026, the developer published Dev Diary #435 formally revealing the Willpower expansion, confirming it will release as part of the Stellaris 4.6 'Corona Borealis' update. The same post explicitly addresses the Scenario Packs: the developer has chosen to delay their release in order to improve quality, moving them to the Stellaris 4.7 'Capricornus' update, currently planned for Q1 2027. This is a direct, named commitment from the developer. Between the Nomads release and today, the team also shipped version 4.5 'Cygnus' on September 22, 2026 — described as the largest bugfix patch in Stellaris history — followed by the 4.5.2 hotfix on October 6, 2026. The store description reinforces that "free updates are a part of any active Paradox game." Development activity remains high with weekly dev diaries and a steady cadence of patches continuing alongside the paid content pipeline.
Evidence
Dev Diary #435 formally reveals the Willpower expansion, confirms it ships with the 4.6 'Corona Borealis' update. Also confirms Scenario Packs are delayed to the 4.7 'Capricornus' update, currently planned for Q1 2027.
news post · Oct 8, 2026 source content planned
high
Stellaris: Nomads released as the first major expansion of Season 10, introducing nomadic empires, Arkships, Waylines, and more.
news post · Jun 15, 2026 source content shipped
high

Content

29 of 32 released · 3 planned

Media

Details

Publisher
Paradox Interactive
Achievements
219
Platform
Windows, macOS, Linux
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer

About this game

Get ready to explore, discover and interact with a multitude of species as you journey among the stars. Forge a galactic empire by sending out science ships to survey and explore, while construction ships build stations around newly discovered planets. Discover buried treasures and galactic wonders as you spin a direction for your society, creating limitations and evolutions for your explorers. Alliances will form and wars will be declared.

Like all our Grand Strategy games, the adventure evolves with time. Because free updates are a part of any active Paradox game, you can continue to grow and expand your empire with new technologies and capabilities. What will you find beyond the stars? Only you can answer that.

Stellaris now includes the base game, three expansion packs, and a collection of digital goods.

 

Stellaris: Chart a vast, procedurally generated galaxy where every star system holds a new mystery to uncover or an alien civilization to encounter. Forge a unique empire: from your first warp jump to galactic domination, you decide whether the universe remembers you as a benevolent pioneer or a relentless conqueror.

 

Utopia: Unlock the full potential of your empire with this expansion focused on the evolution of society. Whether you're building mega-structures or ascending to a higher plane of existence, Utopia helps you create a future that’s as bright as the stars themselves.

 

Synthetic Dawn Story Pack: Take command of a Machine Empire and reshape the galaxy in your own image. Will you lead your mechanical creations to peaceful coexistence, or will the rise of synthetic life spell the end for organics?

 

Humanoids Species Pack: the most-played phenotype now gains more variety with unique civics and a new origin. Along with their own unique ship class, new portraits, and more, there’s never been a better time to explore the future of humanity.

And on top of this, the Digital Collector’s Book, a Signed Wallpaper, a Unique Forum Avatar and Icon!

DEEP AND VARIED EXPLORATION

Every game begins with a civilization that has just discovered the means to travel between stars and is ready to explore the galaxy. Have your science ships survey and explore anomalies, leading you into a myriad of quests, introducing strange worlds with even stranger stories and discoveries that may completely change your outcome.

STUNNING SPACE VISUALS

With characteristically complex unique planets and celestial bodies, you will enter a whirlwind of spectacles in a highly detailed universe.

INFINITE VARIATION OF SPECIES AND ADVANCED DIPLOMACY

Through customization and procedural generation, you will encounter infinitely varied races. Choose positive or negative traits, specific ideologies, limitations, evolutions or anything you can imagine. Interact with others through the advanced diplomacy system. Diplomacy is key in a proper grand strategy adventure. Adjust your strategy to your situation through negotiation and skill.

INTERSTELLAR WARFARE

An eternal cycle of war, diplomacy, suspicions and alliances await you. Defend or attack with fully customizable war fleets, where adaptation is the key to victory. Choose from an array of complex technologies when designing and customizing your ships with the complex ship designer. You have a multitude of capabilities to choose from to meet the unknown quests that await.

ENORMOUS PROCEDURAL GALAXIES

Grow and expand your empire with thousands of randomly generated planet types, galaxies, quests and monsters lurking in space.

PLAY THE WAY YOU WANT

Customize your Empire! The characters you choose, be it a murderous mushroom society or an engineering reptile race, can be customized with traits like ethics, type of technology, form of preferred space travel, type of habitat, philosophies and more. The direction of the game is based on your choices.

FREE UPDATE HISTORY

Last evaluated Oct 8, 2026
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