Starseeker: Astroneer’s Next Bold Mission Among the Stars
"This is the next Astroneer game… but it’s not Astroneer 2!"
With that statement, Adam Bromell, co-founder and Creative Director at System Era Softworks, set the record straight at PAX West. After guiding me through their hands-on demo on show floor we talked about their newest project, Bromell was clear: Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions is no sequel. It is an ambitious, genre-shifting expansion within the Astroneer universe, one that takes players beyond the survival sandbox roots and into the shared wonder of cooperative space expeditions. A virtual thirds space of sorts.
A New Star to Follow
Another thing Adam wanted to make clear was the identity of this new chapter in the Astroneer lore “We lead with the name of the game first—Star Seeker: Astroneer Expeditions, not Astroneer: Star Seeker,” he said. That distinction may seem small, but it highlights the game’s intent. Instead of being a numbered continuation, Starseeker stands all on its own as a new adventure within the larger franchise. This time focused on community and cooperation.
At the heart of this new vision is the ESS Starseeker, a massive space station that acts as the hub for everything you do. “The Starseeker is purpose-built for jumping to new planetary systems where its crew can embark on expeditions,” Bromell explained. Inspired by the Start Trek franchises such as Deep Space 9 and voyager it is the core of the experience. From this facility, players plan missions, prepare gear, and uncover bits of narrative that tie into the broader story of the Frontier Force. The design philosophy is all about creating an entirely new player experience. “This just sets it up as a whole new game and a whole new experience for players to go through,” Adam said. It is still feels like Astroneer at its core with exploration and discovery but expanded into something grander, more connected, and built around the idea of working together and just having fun.
“We want to give you agency without pressuring you"
Solo or Squad—Your Choice
While cooperation is the beating heart of Starseeker, System Era is not forgetting players who prefer to explore alone. The PAX demo showcased the game as a four-player mission, which him and I played as a duo , but Adam emphasized flexibility: “You can beat the mission alone as well… that’s how we practice it ourselves as developers.” Missions vary in difficulty and scope, giving players the agency to select objectives that fit their playstyle. “You might pick something that’s a little bit more easy for you to do solo” he said. That same sense of freedom is what makes Astroneer beloved, now scaled into a cooperative framework. For those jumping in without a crew, the Starseeker station itself provides opportunities to connect. Whether through matchmaking, looking-for-group systems, or simply bumping into familiar names, the hub will feel alive. “We’re really trying to be a little obnoxious about the idea that this is a massively connected experience,” Adam admitted with a grin. He painted a vivid picture: “It’d be really fun to walk by Rob on the station and say, hey, what’s going on? Even though we’re not on any platform friends list.”
A Massively Connected Sandbox
The phrase Adam returned to again and again was agency. Starseeker is not just a survival sandbox, it is a massively shared sandbox. The ESS Starseeker will host up to a hundred other players at once, creating a living, social environment where each expedition contributes to the larger narrative. Much like we see in Helldivers multiple teams contribute to the narrative and the planets explored even though you work in smaller teams and individual goals. That design philosophy carries through into how progression works. Bromell does not want Starseeker to pressure players into daily log-ins or rigid schedules. “Regardless if you give us two hours a month, three hours a week, or two hours a day, your commitment is still contributing to the bigger story,” he explained. In other words, whether you are a casual explorer or a die-hard astronaut, your actions matter. It is a subtle but important shift in live-service design. Rather than punishing absence, the game rewards presence in whatever form it takes. “We want to give you agency without pressuring you, like you have to log in every day or you’re going to miss out. It’s not really about that, it’s about figuring out how you want to contribute.”
"Gathering Stellar Residual is a community event"
Tools, Stickers, and Progression
At the core of Starseeker’s gameplay loop are the tools you carry into each mission. Players print, upgrade, and equip gear before launching from the station, tailoring their loadouts to the objectives ahead. Every tool has a progression path, tracked through what the team playfully calls a “sticker book.” a name that possibly will change in the future, “Anything you can do as a player—if it’s an ability, an item, or a tool—they all have associated stickers,” Adam explained. Use them, level them, and you will unlock new abilities or upgraded versions. A terrain scanner might eventually become a more advanced model, or a favorite piece of equipment might gain buffs as you specialize in its use. The system is not just about power, it is about personality. Adam teased fun community possibilities: “Maybe we could have Terrain Tracker Day on the promenade of the station. People who really love terrain tracking could come celebrate together.” It is a glimpse of how Starseeker aims to transform everyday tools into shared touchstones of identity and pride. The game will not feature weapons to go guns blazing an eradicate an alien species. But as Adam puts it " A hammer is a tool , until you use it on someone's head" And so the tools in the game can be creatively used to deal with threats on the planets surface.
A Living Station and Community Events
If it was not clear by now, where Astroneer was about personal survival, Starseeker is about community resilience. Adam described the Starseeker as both a literal and figurative vessel for player engagement. “We are literally building a vessel to engage our players,” he said.
One of the key mechanics tying players together is Stellar Residual, a rare resource discovered during expeditions. “Gathering Stellar Residual is a community event,” Bromell explained. When one player finds it and brings it back, the whole station benefits. It is a clever way of rewarding collective effort and reinforcing the sense that every explorer contributes to the greater good. Beyond resources, Adam is really enthusiastic about rewarding players and sees the promenade of the station as a stage for player-driven events. “If the community tells us they want an Appreciation Day or something like that, we should be able to acknowledge it,” he said. From farming days to engineering festivals, the possibilities are wide open.
"We are literally building a ship and a platform for our players.”
Expanding the Astroneer Legacy
With all this new ambition, one concern naturally arises: what about the original Astroneer? Adam was quick to reassure fans. “We have definitely grown the team,” he said. What started with just six people in 2016 has expanded to 65, with about half still dedicated to supporting Astroneer. In fact, he noted, the support team is now larger than it has ever been, with a new DLC "MegaTech" just around the corner. The studio’s growth ensures that Starseeker does not replace Astroneer, but complements it. One continues the sandbox journey that players already love, while the other launches into a fresh, connected frontier. Both will evolve side by side.
Final Thoughts
From our gameplay demo with Adam, to experiencing his enthusiastic vison while talking to him in person, it is clear that Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions is not just a new cash grab in the franchise. Instead it is a bold experiment in what a cooperative sandbox can become. With missions that scale from solo to squad, a living station packed with explorers working and playing as a true community, celebrating each others wins, progression systems that feel personal, and events driven by community voice, it is shaping up to be more than just another game. As Adam put it best: “We are literally building a ship and a platform for our players.” The ESS Starseeker is waiting. The only question left is: who will you be when you step aboard?
You can check out StarSeeker:Astroneer expeditions here on Steam or on their website www.starseekergame.com
