Even if you’re not particularly up on your No Man’s Sky lore, you’ll likely have at least heard in-game mention of the World of Glass, a kind of archival afterlife linked to the exploratory sci-fi game’s ill-fated simulation. And in its latest update, Swarm, something fearsome is breaking through from that other realm – so it’s time to band together and fight back.

Swarm, which follows on from No Man’s Sky’s Pokemon-like Xeno Arena update in April, heralds further potential calamity for the game’s already technically doomed universe. “Something new, huge and foreboding is hanging in the sky above planets,” teases developer Hello Games in its announcement, and that something is “unlike anything we’ve seen before.”

No Man’s Sky The Swarm Trailer

Based on information provided ahead of today’s release, it’s not entirely clear what form Swarm will take – whether it’s a new limited-time Expedition or something closer to a narrative-driven event unfolding in the main universe (post-publication update: it’s an Expedition) – but regardless, it’ll see players mounting a war effort to push back against the invading Hive of Glass.

That begins with a fun flourish that reminds me of Splatoon‘s Splatfests and their preferred method of team sorting: you’ll first need to answer some questions – officially a “personality test” – to determine which of three factions you’re assigned to. From there, you’ll need to co-operate, strategise, and compete as the war unfolds, in what Hello Games calls a “combined community effort to figure out what is going on”. Player contributions to the battle against the Hive are recorded in both the Anomaly and the Galactic Atlas. Better yet, the most effective faction will be permanently memorialised in the Space Anomaly – so consider it your chance for 16 minutes of fame.

And what, you might be wondering, is required of Travellers bold enough to brave the front line? Well, there’s talk of massive space battles as the Hive releases hundreds of drone ships into the fray to protect itself. It can also open its iris and unleash a devastatingly massive laser blast, capable of destroying freighter fleets, and perhaps – Hello Games teases – even a space station. Down on planets, meanwhile, players can salvage and research the remains of crashed drones, although they’ll need to be mindful of patrolling miniature swarms. “The secrets of the Hive’s origins and weaknesses,” notes Hello Games, “can be uncovered and shared with your fellow rebels.”

“The prospect of all existing Travellers converging on a single area of the universe to take the largest space battles to date, against the back-drop of an ominous, mysterious Death Star like construct, with the ability to destroy space station sized objects… is going to make for some exciting weeks ahead for us and for players,” adds the studio. “We can’t wait to see how this plays out.”

Those taking part in the event can expect rewards including a retro-inspired sci-fi suit of armour, a “huge” new jetpack, a new rifle, and more. You’ll find patch notes for No Man’s Sky’s Swarm update on Hello Games’ website.

Swarm marks the third update for No Man’s Sky this year, following on from Remnant with its gravity guns in February and the aforementioned Xeno Arena in April. And if that three-month release cadence continues, it’ll mean the game’s next update falls squarely in August – when No Man’s Sky celebrates its tenth anniversary. It could be a biggie then! As for Hello Games’ other project, procedurally generated planet sim Light No Fire, perhaps there’ll be more news on that next month, when Summer Games Fest gets underway.