Hello Games releases Forsaken update and No Man’s Sky on iOS

This is a new development in a story we reported earlier: Hello Games announces No Man's Sky for iPhone and iPad.

Hello Games released the Forsaken update for No Man’s Sky on Oct. 28, 2026, making it available to Xbox and Game Pass players as the survival sandbox debuted on iPhone and iPad in a simultaneous mobile and console expansion.

The studio is marking its 10th anniversary in 2026 and is developing its next game, Light No Fire. Forsaken is the fifth major update of its 10th anniversary year, following Remnant, Xeno Arena, The Swarm, and Cosmos. Xbox Wire called 2026 a busy year, and Polygon described the last ten years as a redemption tour from an undercooked 2016 release to a comprehensive space exploration game.

The iOS port includes the full universe and more than 40 major updates, downloads in under 4GB, and lets players try the opening free before a one-time purchase unlocks the full game. It is not a scaled-down Lite edition. While outlets dated the iPhone and iPad debut to Oct. 28, Game*Spark lists the release as Oct. 29, and Techgenyz noted some storefronts may show that later date.

Techgenyz said the release was announced during Apple’s App Store Indie Games Week, which began Oct. 12, and that pre-orders were listed on the App Store. Techgenyz also explained that the game builds its universe on the device to keep installation small.

The game runs on iPhone 11 and later models and on third-generation iPad Air and newer devices. It lacks multiplayer at launch, supports Planetary Settlements only on iPhone 15 Pro or newer, and Hello Games said future mobile support depends on player feedback. Hello Games said performance depends on device and usage, and Planetary Settlements has no iPad equivalent specified.

Players can use redesigned touch controls, controllers, or mouse and keyboard on iPad, cast to a TV, and move progress seamlessly from iPhone to iPad. The iOS engine renders environments in real time using Apple’s MetalFX and M-class CPUs with battery and thermodynamics optimizations.

Forsaken adds horror-themed missions where players scavenge derelict hulks, abandoned freighters, planetary dig sites, and infested outposts for suspicious mementos and rare haunted tech. They trade these items with enigmatic collectors, who prize the mementos, though prolonged harvesting attracts hostile boundary horrors. PCGamesN said the update targets the darker side of the universe.

Forsaken traders at deep-space outposts offer unique biomechanical corvette modules in exchange for haunting mementos salvaged from dark locations. The update introduces haunted mementos appearing in deep space, along with preserved organic matter in derelict hulks and infested outposts that draw enigmatic traders seeking samples for collections. Players can claim the grotesque larva tank helmet and the title of Mind Harvester, and acquire the larva cannon multi-tool by offering preserved grubs. The source describes the helmet as replacing the wearer’s cranium with a wriggling parasite in a tank and the multi-tool as made from an unknown larval exoskeleton.

The update also adds seamless warping to nearby stars without opening the Galaxy Map, a minimal HUD mode, a radial weapon-select menu, uploadable space bases, and package courier missions. Hello Games added new corvette cockpits, and PCGamesN noted a fresh interior inspired by a distant galaxy plus online sharing of star bases.

Sean Murray said, “Today, with the release of our next update, FORSAKEN, we’re staying in space but things have got a whole lot…darker!” He also told Polygon, “In Forsaken, players will begin searching for rare haunted tech or biological horrors.”

Last month’s COSMOS update brought a large influx of Xbox and Game Pass players who explored new space discoveries and player-owned space stations. Xbox Wire said COSMOS added space between planets and player-owned space stations, contributing to the increase before Forsaken arrived. Xbox Wire presents Forsaken as the next update after COSMOS, which brought a surge of Xbox and Game Pass players.

The studio is already deep into planning for 2027. Sean Murray said, “We’re already deep into planning what crazy things we can do in 2027.”