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Stellaris
Stellaris
4.4.5|Jul 7, 2026
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Stellaris 4.4.5 patch released (2f57)

4/5 Significant

Introduction of a Resource Abundance galaxy slider and a massive overhaul to Nomadic empire mechanics, including Operational Reserves scaling and advanced fleet automation.

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Key Changes

  • 1Added Resource Abundance slider to galaxy settings (Scarce to x5).
  • 2Operational Reserves now scale with Arkship count/tier and use a 1:1 resource ratio.
  • 3New 'Critical' stage for Operational Reserves adds severe economic and pop penalties.
  • 4Comprehensive overhaul of fleet automation for Arkships, Logistic, and Construction ships.
  • 5Space Fauna now disable Waystations instead of destroying them.
  • 6Significant performance optimizations for late-game fleet processing and automation stutters.
  • 7Star Seeker Celebrations buffed to +100% Job Efficiency and Pop Growth.
  • 8Fixed Capital Arkships being unable to find precursors.
  • 9Consolidated automation UI for all non-combat ship types.
  • 10Arkship Max Aura effects now have a 10-year cooldown to prevent stacking exploits.

All Changes

🌌Galaxy Generation(1)

  • newGalaxy Settings: Added a Resource Abundance slider in galaxy settings ranging from 'Scarce' to x5 (0.25 increments).

🛸Nomadic Empires(17)

  • newWaystation: Added Waystation Voidlure modules.
  • newArkship: Added Arkship Voidlure Array module allowing players to lure space fauna via right-click.
  • buffOperational Reserves: Operational Reserves now track Energy and Minerals at a 1:1 ratio (improved from 3:1).
  • buffOperational Reserves: Maximum Operational Reserves now scale with Arkship count and tier (Base 15,000 + 5,000/7,500/10,000 per Tier I/II/III).
  • buffCivilian Arkship: Civilian Arkships now grant an additional 2,500 Operational Reserve capacity per Tier.
  • buffResource Silos: Resource Silos (Standard, Fallen Empire, Arkship, and Waystation variants) now increase maximum Operational Reserves.
  • nerfOperational Reserves: Added a Critical stage to Operational Reserves with severe penalties to Research, Unity, and Alloys.
  • nerfOperational Reserves: Critical stage now penalizes populations: Lithoids lose Happiness/Growth/Efficiency; Mechanicals lose Job Efficiency.
  • buffWaystation: Space Fauna now disable waystations instead of destroying them.
  • buffNomadic Empires: Reduced opinion penalties for strip-mining, reprocessing planets, and Exodus Jumps; penalties now decay faster.
  • buffNomadic Primal Calling: Nomadic Primal Calling now starts with a Voidlure Array equipped.
  • nerfArkship: Arkship District Specializations (Lasers, Flight Decks, etc.) now add +0.15 strategic resource upkeep to Soldiers.
  • buffArkship: Mutagenic Habitability on Arkships increased from 30% to 50%.
  • fixArkship: Arkships now have a 10-year cooldown after benefiting from a Max Aura effect.
  • fixNomadic Empires: Nomads can now build Megastructures in systems with Waystations even if unsurveyed.
  • changeMegastructures: Nomads no longer get double benefits from resource-producing megastructures; Waystations are now required for collection.
  • fixArkship: Pops can now migrate from Arkships.

⚙️Automation & UI(6)

  • newFleet Automation: Fleet automation menus now offer per-action options for Nomad Arkships and Logistic Ships.
  • newConstruction Automation: Construction Automation now includes options for Mining/Research Stations, Observation Posts, and Special Projects.
  • newArkship: Added 'Explore' automation order to Arkships, allowing navigation to Points of Interest.
  • changeUI: Science, Construction, and Nomad ships now share a consolidated automation settings window.
  • changeMap Mode: Details map mode now toggles between Normal, Detailed, and Hidden states.
  • changeUI: Operational Reserves situation now displays capacity breakdown and stored/total readout in the Situation Log.

🎮Gameplay Systems(7)

  • changeWanderlust: Wanderlust now grants half its bonuses immediately and the rest after 4 categories.
  • buffArkship Readiness Checklist: Arkship Readiness Checklist rewards now last 20 years.
  • buffStar Seeker Celebrations: Star Seeker Celebrations now provide +100% Job Efficiency, +100% Resources from Jobs, and +100% Pop Growth Speed.
  • changeChampion's Forge: Champion's Forge now triggers after 20 years instead of 10.
  • fixAssault Armies: Assault Armies will no longer split into separate Transport Fleets after leaving a planet surface.
  • changeWarfare: Planets can now be bombarded during first contact wars.
  • changeDiplomacy: Joining an ongoing war is now always considered 'offensive' for subject agreement terms.

🐞Bug Fixes(6)

  • fixGalaxy Generation: Fixed Tombworld Earth spawning too frequently, replacing UNE.
  • fixArkship: Fixed issue where Capital Arkships could never find precursors.
  • fixStability: Fixed crash when updating waystation networks.
  • fixThe Khan: Fixed Khan Aspirant not despawning properly, preventing double Khans.
  • fixEmpire Creation: Fixed custom empires with DLC portraits being excluded from the random spawn pool.
  • fixTraits: Fixed Phototrophic food upkeep not being disabled when Radiotrophic is active.

⚡Performance(2)

  • fixPerformance: Fixed daily stutter caused by Science Ship automation when no targets were reachable.
  • fixPerformance: Reduced CPU and memory overhead for per-fleet order checks in large late-game galaxies.

Summary

The 4.4.5 'Pegasus' update focuses heavily on refining the Nomadic playstyle and improving player control over galaxy generation and automation.

Galaxy Generation & Resources

A new Resource Abundance slider allows players to scale resource density from 'Scarce' to x5. This addresses feedback regarding the high resource density introduced in version 4.4, allowing players to return to v4.3 levels (x1) or keep the abundance (x5).

Nomadic Empire Overhaul

Nomadic empires receive significant balance passes. Operational Reserves now scale with the number and tier of Arkships rather than a fixed cap, and the conversion ratio for Energy and Minerals has been improved to 1:1. However, a new 'Critical' stage introduces severe penalties for mismanaging reserves. Additionally, Arkships and Logistic ships gain granular automation options for harvesting and exploration.

Quality of Life & UI

Fleet automation has been consolidated into a single window for Science, Construction, and Nomad ships. The UI now provides better breakdowns for Operational Reserves and clearer map mode toggles.

← OlderStellaris Dev Diary #427 - We've Had One, Yes. But What About Second Open Beta?Jul 2, 2026Newer →Stellaris 4.5 'Cygnus' Open Beta updated (bfcc)Jul 7, 2026

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