On April 2, 2025, System Era Softworks announced their new and upcoming game Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions, which is set to be released in 2026. The teaser trailer seemed to have given fans insight as to what the game may entail, so let’s dive in and find out.
What Is STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions
According to the teaser trailer and the official Astroneer Discord server, STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions is set within the Astroneer universe and seems to be a widely cooperative multiplayer game, unlike their original game where multiplayer is limited to a certain number of players. It is the player’s goal to set out on expeditions and come across new discoveries alongside fellow players.
From what we can gather in the teaser, there seems to be a central hub where players may receive their missions and objectives and thus set out to uncharted planets and territories via space shuttles and rockets. Not only do we get a sneak peek into the mechanics of the game, but we also get hints as to the type of planets we will be visiting and many more surprises.
What To Expect In STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions
Other than the game being more multiplayer-centric, it seems we will be coming across new planets with newer environments that we had not encountered in the previous game. For instance, if you recall, other than the story quest NPCs within Astroneer, there are no lifeforms on any of the planets in the Sylva planetary system. However, in the teaser, we can see creatures and strange animals that inhabit the planets we are attempting to explore.
Another notable change that many fans eagerly pointed out was the environment. Planets and moons in Astroneer held various biomes, but none of them seemed to contain an important landform: water. It seems in STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions, players can not only use water in their terrain gun but also dive and swim in it. This has excited many players within the community, as it gives the planets more diversity and missing features. Besides, who wouldn’t want to just relax and chill in a lake with other players?
Another notable feature in the trailer is the ability to climb. In Astroneer, players only have their terrain tool and a soil canister to climb up and down or dig into lower places. This made exploration rather challenging, as soil canisters often ran out of soil, or players had difficulty controlling the terrain tool. This has also sparked excitement amongst the fans, as this will make traversing planets far easier with the ability to climb. There is no information yet on whether or not there is a stamina mechanic or if it is simply free climb, but all in due time, we can assume.
Final Thoughts
It is currently unknown how large the multiplayer server is or if single-player is at all an option, but from the looks of the trailer and from the announcement in the official Astroneer Discord, it seems to be a wide server, similar to FFA games. So far, though, any thoughts towards the game gear are on speculation at best until we receive further news.
In any case, with all these new features, players are now eager for the new game and for what’s to come in the future. At the moment, this is all we know about the new game, and just from this snippet, it looks to be rather enticing. For now, we will simply have to wait until STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions hits multiple platforms in 2026, at the latest, if they choose to surprise their players.
If interested in gaining beta access, System Era has posted a website link where players can sign up for a first look through their Discord account. If not, simply wishlist the game on Steam instead. For my thoughts on the Q&A, I will cover that another time. Share your thoughts below on what you think about the upcoming game and what you’re looking forward to.
