For millennia our race has developed, explored and battled for control of a planet. Now we turn our eyes beyond our own solar system, to other stars in our galaxy. New planets, new discoveries, maybe even new civilizations await us. And Paradox Development Studio, the masters of grand strategy, will be your guides on this new voyage.

With a dynamic decision system and a heavy emphasis on exploration and science teams, Stellaris gives you much more to research than bigger lasers or stronger hulls – though you’ll need those too. Space is very big, and your first step will be getting a grasp of just what is around you and how it can be best used for the benefit of your civilization.

Paradox Interactive announced Astral Planes, a new narrative-focused expansion for Stellaris, coming later this year on PC.

Thanks to new reality-breaking technologies and systems, in Astral Planes players will explore alternative dimensions and encounter creatures and phenomena in numerous parallel worlds. They will chart their own path through the unknown in self-contained and fully branching narratives, adding new depth and agency to player choices.

Navigate wonders and dangers through the different features included in Astral Planes: 

NEW CORE SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES: Unlock new Technologies, Actions, and Relics to manipulate space and interact with the galaxy in unexpected ways. Explore new realms filled with mysteries and opportunities.

ALTERNATIVE PLANES TO EXPLORE: Traverse the Astral Planes to discover a wide variety of unique sites, each with properties and phenomena beyond the mundane. Come face to face with fascinating and terrifying creatures, uncover long buried secrets, or choose to explore the true nature of your past with the Riftworld Origin.

BRANCHING NARRATIVES: For the first time in Stellaris, navigate in widely branching narratives through a dedicated interface, specifically designed to maximize the effects of player choice. The Astral Planes are full of surprises, and hard choices will be necessary to reach your desired outcome. Make the right decision for your empire and chart a course that fits your play style. 

Thousands of planets populate procedurally generated star systems giving you the largest possible theatre for performing the emergent stories that Paradox has become famous for. Customize your ships, encounter unique randomly generated races, and participate in advanced diplomacy that would make Picard look like an amateur.

And all in a beautiful and evocative star map unmatched by anything we’ve made before.

• Behold the enormity of space with procedurally generated galaxies and an untold number of planets to explore.
• Encounter a myriad of wild, quirky, and dangerous alien races who may prove to be crucial trade partners or conquering forces hellbent on enslaving your civilization.
• Take on strategic space warfare and resource management to ensure the survival and advancement of your empire.
• Explore scientific anomalies and uncover technological wonders throughout the galaxy to utilize them toward your own gains.
• Govern your own fledgling empire and secure your power and agenda through manipulating internal policies, factions, traditions and more.

Stellaris is currently available on PS4, Xbox One and PC (Steam).