But walking away with those upgrades won't necessarily be easy. Hazards inside abandoned ships can be varied, from scrambled defense systems, to environmental hazards, to alien infestation.
The series has typically drawn from optimistic '70s and '80s science fiction, but Desolation looks to the likes of Ridley Scott's Alien instead. "Being a small dot amongst the stars can bring a sense of awe and wonder," explains the press release, "but we've always wanted to explore a little more those feelings of fear and dread that come from being alone in the depths of space. Terror in the face of the unknown, or the dawning realisation that you're treading in the footsteps of those who met a lonely end at the edge of the universe - it's a rich science fiction tradition, and one not really touched on in No Man's Sky - until now."The update will also add balance changes for weapons and enemies, plus tweaked effects and feel for weaponry to make for a better combat experience. It also comes with a number of quality of life improvements.
It's been a busy year for NMS already, after the game implemented full cross-play, arrived on Xbox Game Pass and, most importantly, added mechs. Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.