Stellaris Astral Planes: Yet Another Storyline Focused DLC

Bozidar Radulovic
Stellaris Astral Planes DLC announcement cover

Paradox has just announced the new Stellaris DLC: Astral Planes. The Stellaris content has been running dry a bit in recent months, and a new exciting story-driven DLC will surely refresh the game a bit. It also (as Paradox likes to do) will be released alongside the Stellaris 3.10 ‘Pyxis’ patch update. As far as official sources go, it will be focused mostly on the new Rift mechanics where they will act like Archaeological sites, but with more risks and more interesting developments.

What We Know So Far

The Stellaris Astral Planes DLC will include the following: 30+ Astral Rifts, 8 new Relics, 4 new Civics, 1 new Origin, Astral Threads & Astral Actions (we don’t know what these exactly are so far), and three new OSTs. All these things will be focused on making Stellaris an even more narrative-based game, which will please a lot of sci-fi fans who have come to love the rich and deep universe of Stellaris.

The main premise and point of this DLC is to make Stellaris an even more story-driven game. Since there are already a lot of mechanics in the game, it comes to a certain point where it just becomes too cluttered. Paradox threads this needle carefully by slowly introducing new things like Origins, Civics, Ascension Perks, Ship Design changes, and much more.

Each DLC brings a new certain flavor to the game and by the looks of it, the new Astral Planes expansion blends in perfectly with the whole Stellaris narrative. As far as we can see, this DLC will enhance the “Psionic” story experience and further the lore of The Should (Materialists, don’t be mad!). With all the Stellaris DLCs that have come out in recent years, there were only a few that significantly impacted the game, and (sadly) we think this one is not one of them.

What Else Paradox Needs To Address

Stellaris unbidden call

While the new Stellaris Astral Planes DLC seems like a good addition to the game, there are some other issues in the current state of Stellaris, mainly the Endgame Crisis. We would really like to see a DLC dedicated to this Event since it’s literally the most important event in the game and it hasn’t been changed or updated for a long time.

Moreover, there are some interesting concepts like Genetics/Evolution and Megastructures that have been implemented a bit…boring, compared to have interesting they can be. It would be nice to see some of the outdated concepts in a new fresh, modern light. We do understand that Stellaris is a big game and that there is a lot of potential, but some things like the Endgame Crisis really need some love. Nevertheless, we welcome any new addition to the game.

What Date Does Stellaris Astral Planes Come Out?

We don’t exactly know when this patch will come out, but we suspect it will be by the end of the year (you can also Wishlist it on Steam). Nevertheless, by following Paradox logic, it will be a big update that will implement a lot of new things to the game, since the DLCs always come alongside big patches.

  • 20 Minutes Till Dawn Best Builds Explained

    20 Minutes Till Dawn Best Builds Explained

    The way builds work in 20 Minutes Till Dawn is quite unique as they combine the character you choose, the weapon, and lastly, the level-up upgrades. All of this means that you can work with nearly limitless possibilities, making the game ultra-fun.  Best builds in 20 Minutes Till Dawn can sometimes depend on the luck…

  • 20 Minutes Till Dawn Weapon Tier List [2025]

    20 Minutes Till Dawn Weapon Tier List [2025]

    Beating Darkness levels in 20 Minutes Till Dawn requires a careful choice of three things: character, level-up upgrades, and weapon. Even though all three are important and define how your gameplay will look, weapons have a special place in that choice. If you’re wondering what’s the best fighter for you, you can head over to…

  • Hearthstone Battlegrounds Strategy Guide [Season 9]

    Hearthstone Battlegrounds Strategy Guide [Season 9]

    Anomalies are back in Hearthstone Battlegrounds! With the recent 31.6 “Anomaly patch”, we have seen a big mid-season shakeup! Just as a quick reminder, take a look at what previous seasons of Battlegrounds looked like in order to understand better what this season is about. In chronological order, the last few Hearthstone Battlegrounds seasons looked…

  • 20 Minutes Till Dawn Character Tier List

    20 Minutes Till Dawn Character Tier List

    One of the first things we like to know when we jump into a game like 20 Minutes Till Dawn is the overview of the characters it has to offer. As in many other roguelikes, you’ll find plenty of unique and interesting characters that let you experience different types of gameplay while running and shooting.  …

  • 20 Minutes Till Dawn Beginner’s Guide [Full Introduction]

    20 Minutes Till Dawn Beginner’s Guide [Full Introduction]

    20 Minutes Till Dawn is a unique roguelike in which the goal is to survive the night while fighting Cthulhu-looking monsters and their bosses. Its main feature is the special characteristics of each character and weapon, which allow you to explore different combos in the night fight. When compared to other similar roguelites, like those…

  • Halls of Torment Ability Tier List

    Halls of Torment Ability Tier List

    The Halls of Torment ability tier list is probably one of the most looked-up things online for players of this roguelike. Abilities are the ones that determine how well your run will go and whether or not you’ll last till the end. Strategizing around them, picking the right ones at the right time, and choosing…

  • Halls of Torment All Characters Guide

    Halls of Torment All Characters Guide

    Halls of Torment has 11 characters (classes) so far and each is unique in its own way giving you a new gameplay angle when you use him. We say that this is the number of characters so far because the developer team has added new characters since the game’s first beta release so we can’t…

  • Halls of Torment Beginner’s Guide And Tips

    Halls of Torment Beginner’s Guide And Tips

    Even though Halls of Torment is a classic roguelike that reminds us a bit of Vampire Survivors, there are things that are quite unique to this game and can make beginners feel confused. Basic stats, abilities, and characters are well explained but some perks still remain unclear until you spend a couple of dozen hours…

  • 5 Best Rougelike Games for Mobile [2025 Edition]

    5 Best Rougelike Games for Mobile [2025 Edition]

    It’s not news that smartphones are taking over when it comes to the gaming industry and no matter how much old-school gamers don’t like this fact, more and more people are joining in the gaming world through the lens of their pocket-sized computers. Roguelike games for mobile have been picking up more and more attention…

  • 5 Roguelike Games Like Brotato [2025 Alternatives]

    5 Roguelike Games Like Brotato [2025 Alternatives]

    We will explore some games like Brotato that can scratch that roguelike feeling many of us yearn for. Brotato has captured the hearts and brains of many casual gamers but what happens once you try out all the best Brotato builds and unlock all the best Brotato weapons and want to seek a similar adventure?…