No Man’s Sky just got weird in the best way possible. The new “Relics” update (version 5.6), now live on all platforms, takes a deep dive—literally—into the long-buried past of the game’s alien worlds. Following the ambitious “Worlds Part II” update in January, Hello Games is showing no signs of slowing down in 2025. Instead, they’re injecting some Indiana Jones energy into your spacefaring with a whimsical yet wildly expansive update that introduces fossil hunting, giant stone guardians, creepy skeletal lifeforms, and some of the coolest base-building items the game has ever seen.
A Whole New Layer of Exploration—Beneath the Surface
For years, players have been digging underground for buried technology, but “Relics” shifts the narrative toward ancient alien archaeology. Now, planetary surfaces conceal skeletal remains of extinct alien creatures—everything from twisted ribcages to gargantuan skulls and tailbones. These fossils aren’t just for show: you can reconstruct them into full-blown skeletons, turning your base into a museum of the weird and wonderful.
Want to build a six-legged fish-dinosaur hybrid with wings? Go wild. Bones snap together with modular freedom, and larger display plinths let you build complete, towering fossils that can be packed up, traded, or proudly displayed.
Living Stone Guardians & Skeletal Lifeforms
Of course, it wouldn’t be No Man’s Sky without something trying to kill you. Ancient fossil beds are now protected by stone-eyed sentinels and massive guardian statues. If you disturb their rest, you’ll have to fight off living statues and whirling storms of reanimated rock. These aren’t just ambient threats either—they’re actively guarding some of the most lucrative loot in the galaxy: rare and valuable bones and stone relics.
Also roaming certain planets are skeletal lifeforms—essentially animated fossil creatures, including the elusive and enormous skeletal sandworm, aka the “Titan Boneworm.” They’re rare, spooky, and extremely valuable.
A Museum Economy & Fossil Bartering
The new fossil economy adds a trading loop to paleontology. Fossil collectors on Space Stations will now barter with players for bones or completed skeletons, letting you chase down specific parts for your dream creature build or cash out on a particularly rare find. There’s even a dedicated community expedition—Expedition 18: Relics—that runs for six weeks and gives players a guided experience through the update’s best features.
Complete the expedition and you’ll earn:
- The Living Stone Jetpack
- A skeletal companion pet
- The Basilisk Crown staff
- Living stone-themed suit customizations
- Posters, decals, and other decorative rewards
QoL Updates and Big Fixes
Relics doesn’t just add new toys—it also smooths out the gameplay experience:
- Planets can now be marked from the Discoveries tab for easier navigation.
- UI contrast improvements enhance accessibility.
- Large bases load faster with improved memory optimization.
- The save system’s file compression got a major upgrade.
- A new organic Teleport Receiver is available for living ships.
- Abandoned mode has been overhauled with free tools, better loot, and upgrade stations at derelict space stations.
Bone-In Cuisine and Interior Design
If collecting bones wasn’t enough, you can now cook with them too. New fossil-based recipes are available via the Nutrient Processor, and you can offer your culinary creations to Cronus aboard the Space Anomaly for judgment and rewards. Want to furnish your home with femurs or line your walls with warhound skulls? Go for it—individual bone pieces can be placed freely and precisely in base-building mode.
Paleontology Meets Creativity
No Man’s Sky has never shied away from adding oddball features, but Relics might be its most delightfully unexpected update yet. It turns the galaxy into a sandbox for amateur paleontologists, eccentric collectors, and sci-fi museum curators. Dig deep, fight off stone monsters, and piece together the strange, extinct fauna of alien civilizations long gone.
Whether you’re excavating an ancient battlefield or trading ribcages for rocket fuel, Relics injects a new type of wonder into the endless universe of No Man’s Sky. And if this is how Hello Games is starting the year, 2025 might be one for the history books—literally.
See the patch notes here: https://www.nomanssky.com/relics-update/
