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Stellaris
Stellaris
4.5|Jul 10, 2026
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Stellaris 4.5 'Cygnus' Open Beta Update 3 (aa56)

3/5 Moderate

BETACritical fix for a regression breaking anomalies and events, alongside a fundamental rework of Pop Ethics and new Fleet Doctrine policies.

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Key Changes

  • 1Fixed a major regression breaking Precursor sites and Fear of the Dark origin features
  • 2Fundamental rework of Pop Groups to use percentage-based Ethics and Factions
  • 3Introduced Fleet Doctrine and Weapon/Defense Preference policies for ship automation
  • 4macOS builds now run natively on Apple Silicon (ARM64)
  • 5Consecrate World reworked into a deterministic empire-wide bonus system
  • 6Stellar Cannon moved to Tier 3 tech with new prerequisites
  • 7Nomadic empires now compatible with Knights of the Toxic God and Cosmogenesis
  • 8Federations can now grant free Commercial and Wayline Pacts via laws
  • 9Fixed science ships being permanently lost in Astral Rifts
  • 10Independent selection of map, fill, and ship colors in Empire Creation

All Changes

👥Factions & Pops(5)

  • changePop Groups: Pop groups are no longer divided by Ethics or Factions; instead, each group has a percentage belonging to each faction or ethic.
  • changePops: Pops now shift ethics and factions more frequently.
  • removeLimited Cybernetic: The Limited Cybernetic species trait has been removed.
  • nerfSpiritualist: Cybernetic Spiritualist pops no longer benefit from Cybernetic Job Efficiency if the Limited Cyberization policy is active.
  • buffBio-trophy: Bio-trophies now provide 10 Political Power when playing as Rogue Servitor with the Forever Cruise Origin.

🚀Ships & Combat(6)

  • newFleet Doctrine: Added Fleet Doctrine policy with six doctrines to determine tactical roles for automated ship designs.
  • newShip Design: Added Weapon Preference and Defense Preference policies to steer automated ship designs and research.
  • nerfStellar Cannon: The Stellar Cannon is now a Tier 3 tech and requires Wormhole Stabilization and UV Lasers.
  • changePaladin Ship: Paladin Ships now use a dedicated combat computer with Line tactics for better positioning.
  • changeCarrier: Carrier-computer ships now position themselves based on the longer of their weapon or strike craft range.
  • buffStrike Craft: Strike craft and missile defensive modifiers now correctly apply to starbases and defense platforms.

🛸Nomadic Empires(6)

  • newKnights of the Toxic God: Knights of the Toxic God origin is now unlocked for Nomadic empires.
  • newNomads: Cosmogenesis and Storm Chasers are now compatible with Nomadic empires.
  • newPurge Vassals: Nomadic Purge Vassals added as a special subject type that provides resources to their Overlord through taxes.
  • buffScientific Arkship: Scientific Arkships now gain +5% Deep Scanning Success Chance per Tier.
  • buffNomads: Nomadic empires now steal a percentage of population from planets they destroy during Total Wars.
  • buffNomads: Nomads can now reactivate and own gateway megastructures.

⚙️Gameplay Systems(5)

  • newFederations: Federations can now enact laws to grant members free Commercial Pacts, Wayline Pacts, or Research Agreements.
  • changeConsecrate World: Consecrate World reworked to grant deterministic empire-wide bonuses to Unity, Amenities, and Ethics Attraction (+10%/20%/40%).
  • changeContracts: Regular Empires can now cancel accepted contracts after 20 years.
  • buffFederation Code: The 'Federation Code' technology now reduces Diplomacy influence upkeep by 25%.
  • buffThe Collective Self: The 'Collective Self' technology now grants +1 Envoy.

🧠AI Behavior(4)

  • changeAI: AI empires will no longer fire the Stellar Cannon into neutral territory unless recently insulted.
  • changeAI: AI now prioritizes upgraded starbases and defense platforms as targets for the Stellar Cannon during war.
  • changeAI: AI empires now adopt fleet doctrines and weapon preferences matching their personality.
  • buffAI: AI now researches weapon, armor, and shield technologies matching its preferred design style more aggressively.

🖥️UI/UX(4)

  • newEmpire Creation: Added independent selectors for map border and fill colors, separate from flag colors.
  • changeUI: Policies are now grouped into collapsible categories (Military, Diplomacy, Economy, Research, Society).
  • newEmpire Creation: Ship Color can now be selected independently from flag colors.
  • fixUI: Notification icons have been centralized and fixed.

📈Performance & Stability(4)

  • fixPerformance: macOS builds now run natively on Apple Silicon as a universal binary, removing the need for Rosetta 2.
  • fixPerformance: Optimized pop faction attraction calculations to improve mid- and late-game performance.
  • fixPerformance: Reduced CPU and memory overhead for per-fleet order checks.
  • fixStability: Fixed a crash occurring when quitting the game on macOS.

🐛Bug Fixes(6)

  • fixAnomalies: Fixed a major regression where anomalies, precursor dig sites, and origin features (Fear of the Dark) failed to spawn.
  • fixScience Ships: Fixed science ships being lost permanently when set to automatically explore Astral Rifts.
  • fixSynaptic Lathe: Fixed Synaptic Lathes failing to purge pops; existing saves will repair within one in-game year.
  • fixWar: Empires are no longer allowed to join ongoing wars against their own subjects or overlords.
  • fixDeep Scan: Fixed Deep Scan uncovering anomalies and archaeology sites significantly less often than intended.
  • fixEthics: Fixed pop and country ethics being progressively wiped across the galaxy during play.

Summary

Update 3 Highlights

The third update for the 'Cygnus' Open Beta focuses on resolving a major regression that caused anomalies, precursor dig sites, and origin-specific events (like Fear of the Dark) to stop functioning. It also introduces balance adjustments to the Stellar Cannon and improves AI targeting logic for superweapons.

Core 4.5 Beta Features

This beta cycle introduces a massive overhaul to Pop Groups, moving away from individual ethics to a percentage-based system within groups. Players now have access to Fleet Doctrines and Weapon/Defense Preferences to automate ship design more effectively. Nomadic empires receive significant compatibility updates for existing origins like Knights of the Toxic God and Cosmogenesis, while performance sees a boost with native Apple Silicon support.

← OlderStellaris Dev Diary #428 - 4.5 ‘Cygnus’Jul 9, 2026

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