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Stellaris
Stellaris
4.3|Jan 15, 2026
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Stellaris 4.3 "Cetus" Open Beta Updated (2026-01-15)

3/5 Moderate

Ground combat receives a major overhaul with tech-based stat scaling, while the Cybernetic Creed origin and Driven Assimilators see significant balance adjustments.

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Key Changes

  • 1Ground combat overhaul: Weapon and defensive techs now scale army health and damage
  • 2Cybernetic Creed origin buffed with +10% job efficiency across multiple augmentations
  • 3Base Naval Capacity increased to 50 for all empires
  • 4Driven Assimilators rebalanced to start with 2,000 cyborgs and 1,000 fewer machines
  • 5Branch Offices now cost Trade to establish instead of Energy
  • 6Collateral damage fix: Ground combat will no longer kill the last 300 pops on a planet
  • 7Starbase utility slots reduced across all tiers
  • 8Learning Algorithms trait buffed to +25% leader XP and +1 councilor skill
  • 9Infinity Sphere trait changed to +25% researcher job efficiency
  • 10Multiplayer hotjoining improved to allow simultaneous joins

All Changes

⚖️Gameplay Balance(22)

  • buffNaval Capacity: Increased base Naval Capacity from its previous value to 50.
  • nerfStarbases: Reduced the number of Utility slots available on Starbases and Deep Space Citadels.
  • buffDeep Space Citadels: Deep Space Citadels now have Hull and Armor matching standard Starholds/Citadels plus innate shields equal to armor.
  • nerfDefensive Armies: Generally reduced the total Army Count and effects that grant extra Defensive Armies.
  • buffArmies: Many weapon and defensive technologies now also improve army health or damage.
  • buffSubdermal Stimulation: Subdermal Stimulation now increases Army Morale.
  • buffPowered Exoskeletons: Powered Exoskeletons now grants a higher bonus to Army Damage.
  • changePowered Exoskeletons: Replaced Worker Production bonus on Powered Exoskeletons with a larger bonus to Worker and Simple Drone Job Efficiency.
  • buffIntegrated Cybernetics: Integrated Cybernetics now grants bonuses to Army Damage and Health.
  • buffPsionic Theory: Psionic Theory now grants a reduction to Army Morale Damage Taken.
  • buffOrbital Bombardment: Slightly increased damage dealt by Orbital Bombardment.
  • removeGestation Worlds: Removed Gestation Worlds from the game.
  • newDriven Assimilators: Cybernetic traditions now grant access to Augmentation Centers for Driven Assimilators, providing Augmentor Drones for Amenities and Pop Growth.
  • changeBranch Offices: Branch Offices now cost Trade to establish instead of Energy.
  • buffCapital Buildings: Imperious Architecture and Synaptic Extensions now grant additional housing and jobs to capital buildings based on tier.
  • buffTrickle Up Economics: Trickle Up Economics now increases trade value generated from living standards.
  • changeVolcanic Worlds: Volcanic Worlds are now less common than other habitable planet classes.
  • nerfBeastmaster: Replaced increased naval capacity for Beastmaster artificial ships with increased cost and upkeep.
  • nerfPirate Fleets: Reduced the overall power of Pirate Fleets.
  • buffDriven Assimilators: Driven Assimilators now start with 2,000 cyborg pops (up from 1,000).
  • nerfDriven Assimilators: Driven Assimilators now start with 1,000 fewer machine pops.
  • changeAnimator of Clay: Animator of Clay pop spawning restricted to planets with Shroud-Touched Regions or Zroni Equilibrators; cost changed to 250 Zro per colony.

🏛️Origins & Civics(7)

  • buffCybernetic Creed: Augmentations of the Fellowship now gives +10% Job Efficiency to Metallurgists, Artisans, and Bureaucrats.
  • buffCybernetic Creed: Augmentations of the Templars now gives +10% Job Efficiency to Soldiers and Bureaucrats, and +10% to Army Damage and Health.
  • buffCybernetic Creed: Augmentations of the Choir now gives +10% Job Efficiency to Researchers and Bureaucrats.
  • buffCybernetic Creed: Augmentations of the Commune now gives +10% Job Efficiency to Workers and Bureaucrats.
  • buffCybernetic Creed: Ritualistic Implants now gives +5% Job Efficiency to various roles and +5% Army Damage.
  • changeCybernetic Creed: Cybernetic Creed traits are no longer locked to Spiritualist ethics.
  • changeUnited Creeds: United Creeds combined with Media Conglomerate will continue to produce Unity instead of Trade.

🐛Bug Fixes(34)

  • fixFanatic Purifiers: Prevented nascent stage purifiers from purging their own children.
  • fixAnomalous Cube: The Anomalous Cube dig site is now properly hidden until it can be explored.
  • fixServiles: Servile species no longer generate leaders.
  • fixGestalt Empires: Gestalt Empires will no longer gain the 'Form a Mercenary Enclave' focus.
  • fixGenocidal Empires: Genocidal Empires will no longer gain the 'Enclave Research Support' focus.
  • fixGround Combat: Fixed the incorrect trigger used for collateral damage calculation.
  • fixShip Components: Fixed a large number of ship components that did not have their modifiers applied correctly.
  • fixAI: Fixed old triggers for pop assembly to improve AI handling of Clone Vats and Robot Assembly Plants.
  • fixGround Combat: Ground Combat Collateral Damage will no longer kill the last 300 pops on a planet (increased from 3).
  • fixMindwarden: Added missing name list for the Mindwarden species.
  • fixHunting Expanse: Fixed issue upgrading Hunting Expanse to Hunting Nexus.
  • fixDeep Space Citadels: Changing the design of Deep Space Citadels now persists correctly in save games.
  • fixGalactic Community: The GDF/Imperial Armada now correctly shows naval capacity in the GalCom UI.
  • fixGDF: The Independent GDF no longer grows infinitely.
  • fixExperimentation Chambers: Fixed techs showing Experimentation Chambers unlocks without the Twisted Experiments civic.
  • fixRing Worlds: The Generator Ring World designation is now available to non-gestalt empires.
  • buffCyborg Traits: Differentiated Enhanced Memory and Learning Algorithms cyborg traits; Learning Algorithms now grants +25% leader XP and +1 councilor skill.
  • buffInfinity Sphere: The Infinity Sphere trait now grants +25% researcher job efficiency instead of reduced upkeep.
  • fixSynthetic Transformation: Synthetic Transformation 'Population trials' now properly grants the largest resource deposit.
  • fixMegacorp: Fixed several civics preventing Megacorp government reform.
  • fixHive Worlds: Hive World Ascension Perk tooltip no longer lists removed modifiers.
  • fixGalactic Emperor: Fixed Corporate civics being removed upon becoming Galactic Emperor.
  • fixOvertuned: Elevated Synapses Overtuned trait now properly doubles leader XP when 'Damn the consequences' is active.
  • fixLost Colony: Lost Colony Hiveminds now correctly receive +10% habitability.
  • fixMachine Leaders: Machine Leaders no longer get the Synthetic trait before relevant traditions are unlocked.
  • fixPayback: Payback planet modifier is now properly removed if the capital is conquered.
  • fixThrall Worlds: Thrall Worlds now properly swap soldier jobs into battle thralls.
  • fixPrimal Calling: Scaled vivarium effects from Primal Calling to account for size increases.
  • fixEvents: Fixed unlocalized strings in Rainbow Ice Sheet and Flaming Tornadoes events.
  • fixGene Mentorship: Gene mentorship description now correctly displays 30% leader experience gain.
  • fixPsychological Infertility: Psychological Infertility is now compatible with Lithoid species.
  • buffCaravaneers: Slightly increased the odds of Caravaneer proximity events occurring.
  • fixLeaders: Reverted skill behavior so add_skill_without_trait_selection only levels up without adding traits.
  • fixIdentity Designers: Fixed the amount of amenities provided by Identity Designers.

🖥️UI & Performance(4)

  • fixUI: Fixed planet modifiers not updating correctly in the colonization view and Expansion Planner.
  • fixUI: Fixed overlap of Dig Sites and Devastation components in the Planet UI.
  • changePerformance: Optimized render cycle to perform as if V-Sync were off without screen tearing.
  • newMultiplayer: Added the ability to hotjoin while other players are currently hotjoining.

🛠️Modding(1)

  • newConsole Commands: Console command effect can now target the observed country with root.

Summary

Ground Combat & Naval Changes

This beta update introduces a fundamental shift in ground combat, reducing the overall number of defensive armies while allowing weapon and defensive technologies to scale army health and damage. Base Naval Capacity has been increased to 50 to assist early-game fleet management, though Starbase utility slots have been reduced.

Origin & Civic Rebalancing

The Cybernetic Creed origin received substantial buffs, with various augmentations now providing +10% job efficiency to specific specialist roles. Driven Assimilators now start with a significantly higher cyborg population (2,000) at the cost of machine pops. Additionally, Megacorp Branch Offices now cost Trade to establish instead of Energy, altering early-game economic strategies.

Bug Fixes & Quality of Life

Numerous fixes address ship component modifiers, AI pop assembly logic, and UI overlaps. A critical fix for ground combat ensures collateral damage no longer kills the last 300 pops on a planet, preventing accidental depopulation during invasions.

← OlderStellaris 4.3 "Cetus" Open Beta Updated (2025-12-18)Dec 19, 2025Newer →Stellaris Dev Diary #409 - The 4.3 ‘Cetus’ Open Beta ContinuesJan 22, 2026

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