Paradox Interactive has announced the full contents of the Stellaris Season 10 Expansion Pass alongside detailed information on its headline expansion, Nomads. The Season 10 pass is available now at £41.59, covering five content releases across 2026. Separately, Paradox has confirmed that on 11 May, Utopia, Synthetic Dawn, the Humanoids Species Pack, and most of the Galaxy Edition upgrade will be rolled into the base game free of charge as part of the game’s 10th anniversary celebrations.
Nomads is the major expansion arriving in Q2 2026, and it represents the most structurally distinct addition to Stellaris in some time. Rather than expanding the existing empire management systems, Nomads introduces an entirely different way to play. Nomadic empires do not claim systems or colonise worlds. Instead, they operate from Arkships, massive mobile capitals that replace traditional planetary infrastructure entirely. Three Arkship classes are available: Military, oriented around projecting power; Scientific, focused on exploration and research; and Civilian, built around resource extraction. Each is fully upgradeable with specialised modules and districts.
The Wayline network connects Waystations built across the galaxy into trade and influence routes, generating resources simply by passing through them. A Contract system allows nomadic empires to take on task-driven work from settled empires, creating a relationship dynamic that does not require territorial conflict. Four new Origins support the nomadic playstyle: Voidfarers as the standard flexible start, Heirs of the Khan as a survival scenario evading marauder assassins, The Sacred Path as a faith-driven pilgrimage to ancestral holy sites, and Forever Cruise managing a society split between a pampered elite demanding entertainment and an overworked crew keeping the Arkship operational.
A new Ambition, Defender of the Galaxy, transforms the existing Ascension Perk into a full progression path that can rival the power of a Galactic Nemesis or Awakened Empire. Players forge alliances, command federations, rise through the Galactic Community to Custodianship, and lead the fight against existential threats with a unique squadron of Hero ships. A new Megastructure, the Stellar Cannon, converts the player’s entire energy stockpile into a devastating beam strike on a target system anywhere in the galaxy.
Willpower arrives in Q4 2026 as the second major expansion, evolving empire Ethics into active Ideologies capable of spreading across civilisations. New Ideologies, three Origins, five fanatic Civics, and two new megastructures in Great Halls and Cathedrals support the expansion. Left unchecked, Ideologies can radicalise colonies and trigger insurrection. Managed carefully, they can sway entire civilisations to the player’s worldview.
Two Scenario Packs also arrive in Q4 at £4.99 each. Scenario Pack 1 includes Vanguards, a single-player roguelike journey through a series of galaxies cleansing evil and accumulating upgrades, and Arcade, a multiplayer experience with streamlined economies focused on shipbuilding and combat. Scenario Pack 2 includes Unbidden, a single-player experience playing as the Crisis invading an advanced late-game galaxy, and King of the Hill, a competitive multiplayer scenario on a small map designed for a few hours of intense expansion warfare.
The 4.5 Cygnus update will be a dedicated Custodian release, giving the game two Custodian patches in 2026 rather than the usual one, a direct response to community feedback about the pace of quality-of-life improvement.
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