Hello Games is raising the stakes for survival and exploration once again. Studio founder Sean Murray has revealed that Light No Fire, the team’s upcoming fantasy survival game, will feature vast, realistic oceans, so massive that players will need fully crewed ships to cross them.

Murray stressed that these are not merely shallow lakes or small seas; they are indeed global oceans. The expeditions will not be simplistic coastal journeys, but echo ancient maritime adventures requiring elaborate planning, collaboration, and the proper ship.

Tested in No Man’s Sky First

What makes this revelation stand out is that Hello Games already has the technology up and running. The studio has been quietly testing Light No Fire’s ocean-crossing systems inside No Man’s Sky. The spacefaring game’s latest update introduced walkable, customizable, multi-crew ships, features originally designed for Light No Fire and later back-ported to No Man’s Sky.

The “Worlds Part 2” update, for instance, deepened planetary oceans to about 1.5 kilometers, hinting at what is to come. These upgrades are more than just quality-of-life improvements; they serve as the foundation for the upcoming installment’s bold vision for seafaring exploration.

A Shared Earth-Sized World

Unlike No Man's Sky, where players are spread across billions of planets, in Light No Fire, everyone coexists on a singular, Earth-sized planet. This planet will enable players to construct permanent settlements, uncover distinctive landmarks, and embark on bold expeditions across land and sea.  

Murray’s remarks indicate that collaboration will be crucial for oceanic voyages. Different shipboard roles, including a pilot, a sail or engine officer, and a supply officer, will be performed by different crew members. Solo players could still venture out on their own, but the difficulties could be considerable without friends.

Hello Games’ Iterative Approach

The studio has a history of refining features in No Man’s Sky before fully implementing them elsewhere. Base-building, underwater ecosystems, and biome variety all began as experiments that evolved into core systems. Now, it seems that ship crews and ocean crossings are on the same path, starting as experiments in No Man’s Sky before reaching their full expression in Light No Fire.

There’s still no release date for Light No Fire, but Hello Games’ strategy makes one thing clear: the ocean won’t just be scenery. It will be an untamed frontier, shaping how players explore, cooperate, and survive in the studio’s most ambitious game yet.