Hello Games continues to breathe new life into the vast universe of No Man's Sky with the recent release of patch 5.6, aptly titled the Relics Update.  This significant update introduces a wealth of new content, most notably the addition of palaeontology, further enhancing the game's already rich exploration experience.

Initially met with mixed reception upon its 2016 launch, No Man's Sky has undergone a remarkable transformation thanks to the developer's dedication.  Years of consistent updates have addressed initial concerns, squashing bugs and significantly expanding gameplay. The introduction of companions, co-op functionality, and base building have solidified its position as a leading space exploration title.

The Relics Update empowers players to unearth hundreds of unique bones, meticulously assemble fossils, and face off against formidable stone giants and ancient bone creatures. This new palaeontology system introduces a compelling layer of gameplay, with diverse bone varieties to discover and fossil exhibits to sell, offering new avenues for progression.

Beyond dinosaurs, the update revamps the Abandoned Mode, streamlining the experience and offering more valuable rewards. Players can also acquire a new skeletal companion and encounter colossal stone effigies scattered across various planets. As is customary, patch 5.6 also addresses numerous bugs, further refining the overall gameplay experience.

Patch 5.6 surpasses the scope of recent updates, which primarily focused on bug fixes. The previous major update, 5.5 (Worlds: Part 2), introduced significant world variety, including water worlds, gas giants, ruined civilizations, and new missions, greatly expanding the game's explorable content.

With these ongoing enhancements, No Man's Sky remains a compelling experience in 2025, even for seasoned players. The recent updates, particularly those within the last year, showcase Hello Games' commitment to refining core systems and enhancing gameplay, breathing fresh life into the game nearly a decade after its release and providing a vast, mysterious universe for players to explore at their own pace.

Key features of the 5.6 Relics update include: Collect and Display Skeletons, Fossil Exchange, Relics Expeditions, Stone Guardians, Skeletal Lifeforms, Quality of Life and UI improvements, Save System enhancements, Cooking updates, Abandoned Mode improvements, and Optimization and bug fixes.