How Stellaris’ Nemesis DLC Will Let Players Threaten The Entire Galaxy

Popular sci-fi 4X strategy game Stellaris is receiving its next DLC, Nemesis, in April. Among other things, it will allow players to become an existential crisis to the entire galaxy in a mechanically supported manner. Along with this, Stellaris: Nemesis also adds the ability to become a galactic Custodian against AI crises, implements a much-requested espionage system, and allows players to seize supreme executive power and reform the galactic community into a galactic imperium, just like Star Wars‘ Emperor Palpatine.

While it’s always been possible to take over the entire galaxy in Stellaris, doing so was generally a tedious affair, directing numerous fleets, rolling over any resistance, and micromanaging rebellious captured worlds. While AI civilizations do tend to ally against the player in this sort of situation, they generally do fairly poorly in terms of an organized resistance. Since early in its development, Stellaris has included a number of events known as “endgame crises” – the all-devouring Prethoryn from beyond the galactic rim, the extradimensional Unbidden, and the ancient machine Contingency – all of which work to wipe out all life in the galaxy. But beyond their antagonistic nature, these aren’t particularly engaging to fight.

Stellaris: Nemesis attempts to solve these issues; players can now “become the crisis” via an endgame ascension perk. Doing so unlocks a unique system known as Menace, which can be increased by destroying planets, purging populations, and other nefarious acts in order to acquire exclusive bonuses to enhance destructive power. The win condition of playing as the crisis is to construct the Aetherophasic Engine megastructure, the true function of which is currently being kept a surprise, though Paradox has implied it will possibly destroy the entire galaxy.

Alongside this comes an espionage system that allows players and AI to perform secret operations, sabotage enemy starbases, or steal technology. Players have been requesting such a system for some time, so its implementation is most welcome and brings Stellaris up to parity with other large-scale strategy games, like Firaxis’ Civilization series.

The final system added in Stellaris: Nemesis is a new option for the Galactic Community – the senate of all reasonable and non-genocidal civilizations in the galaxy – to name a Custodian, a single empire given emergency powers to fight against any crisis that may be occurring (player-centric or not). The nature of these emergency powers is currently unclear, but they most likely provide additional resources, fleets, or other directed military power. Players also gain the option to not relinquish these emergency powers when the crisis is done, strong-arming the rest of the galaxy into a new imperium with the former Custodian at its head.

Stellaris: Nemesis looks set to continue Paradox Interactive’s trend of well-received DLC that answers player desires and continuously fills out the publisher’s games, just as has been true for its other popular brands, like Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron.

The Stellaris: Nemesis DLC launches on Linux, Mac, and PC on April 15, 2021.

About The Author