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Stellaris
Stellaris
Apr 2, 2026
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Stellaris Dev Diary #414b - Portrait Substitution System

4/5 Significant

Stellaris v4.3.3 introduces Naval Capacity sliders and massive Space Fauna buffs alongside the new scriptable Portrait Substitution system for Arachnophobia Mode.

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Key Changes

  • 1New Portrait Substitution system (Arachnophobia Mode) for masking specific species art.
  • 2Added Naval Capacity and Command Limit sliders (x0.5 to x5.0) to Advanced Galaxy Settings.
  • 3Significant nerf to Starbases by fixing a bug that doubled armor and propagated it to platforms.
  • 4Massive buffs to Space Fauna components, including damage reduction for Crystalline Plating.
  • 5Building efficiency bonuses for several key structures increased from 5% to 10%.
  • 6Planetary Automation reliability improvements and logic fixes.
  • 7AI fleet movement logic fixed to prevent suicidal attacks against stronger forces.
  • 8Luminary trait lifespan increased to +60 to ensure survival until Ascension.
  • 9Vaults of Knowledge reworked to grant +1 leader trait pick.
  • 10Combat computer logic fixed for Swarm and Siege types to maintain engagement range.

All Changes

🌌Galaxy Settings(1)

  • newGalaxy Settings: Added Naval Capacity and Command Limit sliders to Advanced Galaxy Settings ranging from x0.5 to x5.0.

🏗️Buildings & Economy(5)

  • buffEconomic Buildings: Increased efficiency bonuses from 5% to 10% for Slave Processing Facility, Orbital Slave Processing Hub, Administrative Complex, Data-Driven Theorem Facility, Distributed Design Center, and Metallurgical Research Lab.
  • buffLavafalls: Lavafalls planetary modifier alloy production increased from 0.02 to 0.2 per 100 thermoforger.
  • buffThrall World: Thrall World modifier now reduces Alloy Upkeep of Soldier Jobs by 25%.
  • changeSoldier Jobs: Soldiers, Battle Thralls, and Warrior Drones now provide standardized Naval Capacity (4) for the same upkeep (1 alloy).
  • changeEvaluator: Evaluator job added to the list of Influential Jobs.

👤Leaders & Traits(5)

  • buffLuminary: Luminary trait lifespan bonus increased from +40 to +60.
  • buffVaults of Knowledge: Vaults of Knowledge now grants +1 leader trait pick.
  • changeMemory Vaults: Memory Vaults no longer provides unity; now grants +1% Monthly Unity per Destiny trait with scaling energy upkeep.
  • changeLearning Algorithm: Cyborg version of Learning Algorithm now grants +1 effective leader skill level instead of +1 councilor level.
  • nerfPlanned Polymorphism: Planned Polymorphism bonus reduced from 15% to 10%.

🚀Combat & Ships(5)

  • buffSpace Fauna: Space Fauna components significantly buffed; Crystalline Plating now includes damage reduction and increased hull modifiers.
  • nerfStarbases: Fixed bug where Starbases received double armor and propagated it to platforms; this results in significantly weaker Starbases.
  • buffCombat Computers: Sapient, Autonomous, and Precognitive Siege Computers now grant +80% Damage vs. Starbases and Bombardment Damage.
  • nerfVoidworms: Voidworms weakened on Civilian and Cadet difficulty; removed some mutations from Frenzied Voidworms.
  • nerfNaval Capacity: Fixed Naval Capacity penalty not applying to ship upkeep when exceeding limits.

♿Accessibility & UI(3)

  • newPortrait Substitution: Introduced Portrait Substitution system allowing players to mask specific portraits (e.g., Arachnophobia Mode).
  • newUI: Added UI icons to Empire Selection and Gene-modding to indicate when a portrait is being substituted.
  • fixPlanetary Automation: Planetary Automation overhauled to reliably build districts and buildings; trigger threshold reduced to 50 civilians.

🤖AI Behavior(4)

  • fixAI Fleets: Fixed AI tendency to send fleets into overwhelmingly stronger forces.
  • buffAI Economy: Improved AI awareness of unique resource-producing buildings like Wilderness Harmonic Cores and Moltguts.
  • fixAI Construction: Fixed AI loop where it would infinitely build and destroy Strongholds on the same planet.
  • fixAI Combat: Swarm and Siege ships now correctly maintain close-range combat instead of breaking off attack runs.

🐛Bug Fixes(4)

  • fixThought Pre-emption: Fixed Thought Pre-emption edict increasing job upkeep instead of reducing it.
  • fixPermanent Employment: Fixed Permanent Employment producing zombie pops stuck in Specialist/Elite tiers with no jobs.
  • fixSynaptic Lathe: Fixed Synaptic Lathe turning into a broken planet after destruction by a Star Eater.
  • fixBattleship: Fixed Tier 6 Battleship reactor having incorrect resource costs.

💻Stability(2)

  • fixStability: Fixed a crash-to-desktop (CTD) caused by division by zero in the particle system.
  • fixMultiplayer: Fixed an Out-of-Sync (OOS) error occurring when using picket computers during combat.

Summary

4.3.3 'Cetus' Update

The Cetus update focuses on granular galaxy control and significant balance adjustments. Players can now scale Naval Capacity and Command Limits via sliders (x0.5 to x5.0). Major buffs have been applied to Space Fauna components and various economic buildings, while a critical bug fix significantly reduces the unintended defensive power of Starbases. Additionally, Planetary Automation has been overhauled for better reliability.

Portrait Substitution System

A new scriptable system allows players to swap specific portraits, primarily serving as an Arachnophobia Mode. This system is fully moddable, allowing users to define custom substitution sets (like the example 'Arachnophilia' or 'Crab' modes). The UI now includes indicators in Empire Selection and Gene-modding to show when a portrait has been substituted.

← OlderStellaris 4.3.3 patch released (checksum 456f)Mar 31, 2026

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