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Stellaris
Stellaris
4.5|Jul 15, 2026
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Stellaris 4.5 'Cygnus' Open Beta Update 4 (e6fd)

3/5 Moderate

BETAMajor pop system rework changing ethics/factions to a percentage-based model alongside a critical fix for Precursor dig sites and new Fleet Doctrine policies.

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Key Changes

  • 1Complete rework of Pop Ethics and Factions into a percentage-based system
  • 2Fixed Precursor dig sites and Fear of the Dark hostile empires failing to spawn
  • 3Added Fleet Doctrine policies to control automated ship design behavior
  • 4Native Apple Silicon support for macOS users
  • 5New Federation laws for automatic Commercial Pacts and Research Agreements
  • 6Nomadic empires can now access Knights of the Toxic God and Cosmogenesis
  • 7Deterministic rework of Consecrated Worlds rewards
  • 8Fixed Commercial Pact trade value calculation bugs
  • 9Improved science ship automation logic for better exploration spreading
  • 10Optimized late-game performance via pop faction calculation improvements

All Changes

👥Pop Systems(5)

  • changePop Groups: Pop groups are no longer divided by Ethics or Factions; instead, each group has a percentage belonging to each faction/ethic.
  • changeSave Games: The pop system rework is a breaking change and will not preserve save game compatibility.
  • changePops: Pops now shift ethics and factions more frequently.
  • changeFactions: Ethic attraction now directly impacts faction growth.
  • nerfCyberization: Limited Cybernetic species trait removed; Limited Cyberization policy now prevents Cybernetic Spiritualist pops from benefiting from Job Efficiency.

🚀Fleet & Combat(5)

  • newFleet Doctrine: Added Fleet Doctrine policy with six doctrines determining tactical roles for automated ship designs.
  • newShip Design: Added Weapon Preference and Defense Preference policies to steer automated ship designs and tech research.
  • newStarbases: Added Starbase-specific Weapon and Defense Preference policies.
  • buffStarbases: Strike craft and missile defensive modifiers now correctly apply to starbases and defense platforms.
  • changeCarrier Ships: Carrier-computer ships now use the longer of weapon or strike craft range for positioning.

🛸Nomadic Empires(4)

  • newNomadic Empires: Unlocked Knights of the Toxic God and Cosmogenesis for Nomad empires.
  • newStorm Chasers: Added a nomad-compatible version of Storm Chasers with functional Storm Attraction for arkships.
  • newPurge Vassals: Nomadic Purge Vassals added as a special subject type that transfers resources and pops to the Overlord.
  • buffScientific Arkships: Scientific Arkships now gain +5% Deep Scanning Success Chance per Tier.

🤝Diplomacy & Federations(3)

  • newFederations: Federations can now enact laws for free, automatic Commercial Pacts and Research Agreements.
  • buffTrade League: Trade League federations now provide free, automatic Commercial and Wayline Pacts between all members.
  • buffFederation Code: The 'Federation Code' technology now reduces Diplomacy influence upkeep by 25%.

🛠️Bug Fixes(6)

  • fixPrecursor Dig Sites: Fixed Precursor dig sites (Vultaum, Yuht, First League, Irassian, Cybrex) failing to appear when surveying.
  • fixFear of the Dark: Fixed Fear of the Dark origin's hostile empire failing to spawn.
  • fixCommercial Pacts: Fixed Commercial Pact trade value growing out of control or swinging wildly in federations.
  • fixScience Ships: Fixed automated science ships clustering in one system; they now spread out correctly.
  • fixDeep Scan: Fixed Deep Scan success chances being significantly lower than the intended 7% and 3%.
  • fixStarbases: Fixed starbase building queues remaining locked after a controller flip at the end of a war.

🖥️Performance & UI(3)

  • fixmacOS: macOS builds now run natively on Apple Silicon (arm64), removing the need for Rosetta 2.
  • fixPerformance: Optimized pop faction attraction calculations to improve mid- and late-game performance.
  • changeUI: Policies are now grouped into collapsible categories with status indicators.

Summary

Pop System Overhaul

The core of the 4.5 'Cygnus' update is a fundamental rework of how pops interact with ethics and factions. Instead of being divided into rigid groups, each pop group now has a percentage-based distribution across factions. This is a breaking change that is not save-game compatible.

Fleet & Ship Design

Players now have significantly more control over automated ship designs through new Fleet Doctrine, Weapon Preference, and Defense Preference policies. These allow for specific tactical roles and technology steering for both fleets and starbases.

Nomadic Empires & Origins

Nomadic empires receive substantial updates, including access to the Knights of the Toxic God and Cosmogenesis. Several critical bugs affecting Nomad events, buildings, and Total War mechanics have been resolved.

Technical & Performance

This update introduces native Apple Silicon support for macOS users and optimizes pop faction attraction calculations to improve mid-to-late game performance.

← OlderStellaris 4.5 'Cygnus' Open Beta Update 3 (aa56)Jul 10, 2026

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