An early implementation of multiplayer arrived to No Man"s Sky with last year"s Atlas Rises update, letting players hang around each other as floating orbs. But, according to Hello Games founder Sean Murray, the game"s upcoming update, conveniently titled Next, is slated to add a "full multiplayer experience" to the game.
The recently announced Xbox One edition of the game will launch alongside the Next update, with both releasing on July 24. The update will also arrive for all existing players on PC and PlayStation 4 on the same day as well.
Murray described what players will be able to do in multiplayer as follows:
You’ll be able to explore the universe with your friends, or bump into random travelers. You can help friends to stay alive, or prey on others to survive. Tiny shelters or complex colonies that you build as a team are shared for all players. Fight as a pirate or a wingman in epic space battles with friends and enemies. Race exocraft across weird alien terrains, creating race tracks and trails to share online.
Although there is no gameplay footage just yet, we will probably get to see the multiplayer in action as we get closer to the update"s release.
Murray said that the multiplayer functionality has been undergoing playtests for the past six months, and added that "the game has evolved into a very new experience that we think the community will enjoy." Updates will continue to roll out after Next as well, with the developer promising to "support No Man’s Sky in this way for the foreseeable future"