No Man's Sky

Overview

Eighteen quintillion planets. A tiny team from Guildford. Impossible expectations. No Man’s Sky launched in August 2016 to immediate backlash—features shown in trailers were absent, multiplayer barely existed, and the universe felt empty. Most studios would have abandoned ship. Hello Games went silent, then started updating. Six years later, No Man’s Sky stood as gaming’s greatest redemption arc, delivering everything promised and more through continuous free updates.

Fast facts

Developer: Hello Games (Guildford, UK).
Team size: ~15 people at launch.
Planets: 18 quintillion procedurally generated worlds.
Post-launch updates: 20+ major free expansions.

The launch disaster

Promise	Reality (2016)
Multiplayer encounters	Players couldn’t see each other
Diverse fauna	Repetitive creature designs
Rich planetary variety	Similar biomes everywhere
Meaningful exploration	Limited discovery rewards

The redemption path

Update	Year	Added
Foundation	2016	Base building
Pathfinder	2017	Vehicles, permadeath
Atlas Rises	2017	Story, portals
NEXT	2018	Full multiplayer
Beyond	2019	VR support
Origins	2020	Planetary variety
Frontiers	2021	Settlements

Technical approach

Hello Games’ engine generated:

Terrain from mathematical functions
Flora and fauna from component parts
Colour palettes per planet
Weather and atmosphere systems
Space station interiors

Guildford indie story

Founded by ex-Criterion developers, Hello Games started with the Joe Danger series before attempting the ambitious No Man’s Sky. Their Guildford location connected them to decades of local expertise, though the small team tackled challenges that strained AAA studios.

Industry lessons

Lesson	Implication
Manage expectations	Marketing honesty matters
Support post-launch	Games can evolve over time
Silent work speaks	Actions over announcements
Community patience	Given genuine effort

Redemption through persistence