No Man’s Sky Relics Update 5.6 Brings Prehistoric Exploration

Key Highlights:

• No Man’s Sky Relics update introduces procedural prehistoric bones for excavation, collection, and display.
• Players can assemble skeletons, trade fossils, and engage in a palaeontology-themed community expedition.
• New stone guardians, skeletal fauna, and titanic boneworms add fresh dangers and mysteries.

No Man’s Sky continues its trend of evolving gameplay with the latest Relics update (5.6), which introduces palaeontology mechanics and new dangers.

Released on all platforms, the update lets players excavate, collect, and assemble procedurally generated prehistoric bones to create stunning skeletal displays.

In addition, the update expands the universe with new guardians, ancient artefacts, and skeletal fauna roaming alien worlds.

Unearth and Assemble Ancient Skeletons

The Relics update allows players to dig deep into planetary surfaces to uncover a vast variety of prehistoric bones, ranging from ribcages and skulls to tails and limbs.

These fossils can be assembled into full skeletons, enabling players to reconstruct unique alien creatures based on their imagination.

The skeletons can then be displayed in bases, turning player-built settlements into immersive palaeontology museums.

Fossil Trading and Special Collectors

A new Fossil Collector NPC has been added to Space Stations, offering players the opportunity to trade their assembled fossils or barter for missing pieces.

Certain rare fossils hold immense value, creating a dynamic economy for prehistoric artefacts. Trading with the collector allows players to acquire exclusive fossilised parts and enhance their skeletal exhibits.

Stone Guardians and Skeletal Fauna

The excavation process isn’t without risk. Stone Guardians—massive rock-based creatures—now defend fossil-rich sites, challenging players who seek to loot ancient remains. These guardians include:

• Stone Ghosts: Enigmatic floating sentinels that hurl rock projectiles at intruders.
• Stone Golems: Colossal statues that awaken when disturbed, launching devastating attacks.
• Titanic Boneworms: Rare, skeletal sandworms that roam certain planets, adding a formidable new encounter.

Additionally, planets with fossil-rich sites now feature animated skeletal fauna, creatures that have seemingly reanimated from their fossil beds, further deepening the mystery of No Man’s Sky’s ancient past.

Community Expedition and New Rewards

Relics also introduces a new limited-time community expedition where players join the Galactic Palaeontology Society to recreate extinct creatures and uncover ancient secrets.

Completing this expedition earns unique rewards, including:

• The Living Fossil Companion: A pet-like skeletal creature.
• The Living Stone Jetpack: A stone-carved propulsion system.
• The Basilisk Crown Staff: A mysterious staff infused with fossilised power.
• New base decorations, decals, and titles to commemorate the journey.

Expanded Abandoned Universe and Quality-of-Life Improvements

The update further refines the abandoned universe experience by enhancing derelict space stations, adding functional upgrade stations for Exosuits, starships, and Multi-Tools.

Additionally, planetary buried caches now offer more salvageable technologies.

Other key updates include:

• Pinning planets in the Discoveries menu, making it easier to navigate solar systems.
• Increased contrast for mission-critical UI panels, improving accessibility.
• Enhanced water physics, creating larger waves on oceanic worlds.
• Improved volumetric effects, ensuring atmospheric elements behave more realistically.

We only just got the massive Worlds Part 2 update in January, and Hello Games are making a clear statement with this release, that the exploration title is not going away anytime soon!

With the Relics update, No Man’s Sky once again expands its gameplay possibilities, allowing players to engage in palaeontology, battle ancient guardians, and construct fossil exhibits.

For the full patch notes and further details, visit the official website using the hyperlink.