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 First Contact, a new Story Pack coming to the PC (Steam) edition of  Stellaris on March 14, 2023.

In First Contact, players will discover an expanded array of events and mechanics for meeting pre-FTL civilizations, as well as new origins focused on being met by post-FTL civilizations. In addition, cloaking technology will appear for the first time in Stellaris, allowing players to hide their ships and posts from their neighbors, and allowing players to worry about what their neighbors may, in turn, be hiding from them.

You are not alone! The galaxy is vast and full of wonders, but it’s also full of alien empires you’re going to encounter, whether you’re ready or not. First Contact offers a set of new origins and mechanics that give players the chance to tell stories about their civilizations’ early encounters with visitors from the stars -- ones that may not have come in peace!

Features of First Contact include*:

• New Origins:
  • Broken Shackles: You didn’t take to the stars; you were taken to the stars as an alien captive! Now, you and your fellow prisoners have overtaken the ship and found yourselves banding together to survive and thrive as a diverse new community. Can you rise to greatness from this humble origin… and will your former captors take notice?
  • Payback: No one would have believed your world was being watched keenly by intelligences greater than your own - until they invaded. But you did not go quietly into the night! Your civilization has repelled a would-be conqueror from space, and with sudden access to their advanced technology, you’re about to discover just what else is out there beyond the stars!
  • Fear of the Dark: As you’ve explored your home system, you’ve always suspected you weren’t alone in the galaxy… especially when one of your planets suddenly suffered an “incident” a while back. A very large faction of your own people have long advocated against tempting fate out in the dark abyss of the unknown. What path will you choose as you find yourself needing room to grow?
• New Pre-FTL Interaction Options: What will your role be when the next member of the galactic community tells their origin story? New mechanics allow for a broader range of interactions with pre-FTL civilizations, depending on their level of technology and their awareness of your presence. Will your arrival be celebrated, or met with violent panic?
• Cloaking Technology: Nobody saw this feature coming! Equip your ships with cloaking devices to survey in secret or catch a foe unaware; keep subtle tabs on your pre-FTL neighbors with cloaked observation posts. Just be sure your own scanners and intel are strong… you never know which of your neighbors might be lurking in the shadows!

*Some features may require content sold separately

First Contact will launch alongside the free 3.7 ‘Canis Minor’ update from the Stellaris custodians team, including gameplay improvements, adding new Archaeotechnologies to dig up in the Ancient Relics Story Pack, and more. 

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).