Hi, it’s Alfray once again and I’d like to introduce you to our latest megastructure, the Deep Space Citadel. This three stage mid-game megastructure is a powerful defensive bastion and converts into a starbase upon completion, much like an orbital ring.


The three stages of the Deep Space Citadel

Unlike orbital rings and regular starbases, Deep Space Citadels can be placed far more freely within a system, provided they aren’t too close to a gravity well (or each other).

The Deep Space Citadel technology is a Tier 3 Military Theory technology which unlocks all three stages of the megastructure and an initial limit of one per system.



This system limit can be further increased by the Mega-Engineering, the Starlit Citadel origin and the Eternal Vigilance ascension perks.


Choosing to build a DSC opens another menu allowing you to select the design.

Once a DSC design has been selected, you’ll be able to choose where in the system it can be placed, provided it’s within the system’s main gravity well. This allows you to choose if you want to defend a choke point or a critical planet.


No, build an Arc Furnace on the molten world, not the DSC!


Defending the Sol-Alpha Centauri hyperlane breach point sounds like a good idea.

As the Deep Space Citadel is upgraded from one stage to the next, it gains successively more L-slot turrets, hangar bays and defensive utilities. The final stage of the DSC also gains access to both a single XL-slot turret and an aura slot capable of equipping auras from both titans and juggernauts. Additionally, to compensate for the lack of module slots on the DSC, it has a special module slot in the ship designer capable of equipping most starbase auras and a few unique DSC auras.


Think of it as a giant “SHOOT ME!” sign.


Defensive countermeasures tailored to your enemy















As shown, each stage on the Deep Space Citadel is individually designable and saved as its own ship design. When building, upgrading or downgrading a Deep Space Citadel, you’ll be prompted to select the design the DSC should become.

Hi! I'm Lloyd and I'm a concept artist on Biogenesis. I'm here to give you a look at how I designed the look of the deep space citadel and how the art team brought it to life.

I was very excited to tackle this station. After working on bioships for a while, it was refreshing to have a chance to get back into some hard-surface design. I began by discussing with the team what we wanted the station to feel like, and what it should represent to our players. I came away with a simple mission - make Helm’s Deep in space. Here are my first sketches of the station. You can see I'm focusing a lot on fortress-like structures as well as shield shapes. Both of these are to enforce the idea that this station is a defensive bastion, a place of safety, protection, and strength.

Initial sketches of the deep space citadel. Artist: Lloyd Drake-Brockman

We decided to go with something like option B. This design became more refined as I worked on it, and as it was fleshed out into a three-stage structure. Here you can see an early look at the 3D blockout for the concept art.


Early stages of the 3D concept. Artist: Lloyd Drake-Brockman

Here, I had the idea to bring the shield motif back in the later stages, surrounding the station with shield-like arms that start as round shields in stage 2, but expand to be tower shields in stage 3.

With the design locked in, I polished up the details into the final concept sheets. These sheets inform the rest of the art team how to make the asset. Our philosophy is that a concept should solve as many problems as possible, instead of leaving them for the 3D, texturing, and animation stages.


Stage 1 final concept art. Artist: Lloyd Drake-Brockman


Stage 2 final concept art. Artist: Lloyd Drake-Brockman


Stage 3 final concept art. Artist: Lloyd Drake-Brockman


Turrets final concept art. Artist: Lloyd Drake-Brockman

You can also see the added details of the internal gravity torus, which would allow inhabitants to live comfortably even with a failure of artificial gravity systems, a massive reactor for power, and complex shielding systems. All of this is added to paint the picture of a steadfast, independent station, able to withstand punishing sieges.

With the concepts done, the task moves on to the 3D team who model and texture the station.


Work in progress on the 3D model of the Deep Space Citadel Artist: Emma Quer

The last stage of the DSC is animation. Some of the parts of the station were designed to move, and it's always so exciting for me to see an asset come to life in the game.




Animation of the Deep Space Citadel Artist: Mia Svensson

That's it! That's how we brought the Deep Space Citadel to life for Biogenesis. Personally I thought this was one of the most fun assets to work on, and I hope you enjoy what we’ve made. We really poured our hearts into it!

Some empires are born into prosperity. Others arise under siege.

CGInglis here, reporting from far beyond the walls to bring you a closer look at the Starlit Citadel Origin, our latest offering for those who prefer their games with a little bit of defiance and a whole lot of fortification!


Nothing says 'welcome to the neighborhood' like a massive orbital fortress.

Long before their species turned its eyes to the stars, a mysterious wormhole lingered on the edge of their home system. From its depths came wave upon wave of aggressors in biological ships. Entire cities were flattened before the invaders were defeated. Then they returned. Again, and again.

Faced with extinction, these beleaguered people placed their hope in the Deep Space Citadel, a towering bulwark bristling with defensive armaments, constructed not at the heart of their system, but precisely where the invaders emerge.


Hi there! I’ll be your turret-encrusted server today. May I recommend the Mass Driver, served with a large side of Point-Defense Flak?

Empires with this Origin begin the game with a fully operational Stage I Deep Space Citadel positioned at the breach. Their homeworld also features a unique building, the Citadel Uplink, which coordinates the empire’s defensive efforts.

This Building supports a rare specialist role, the Skywatchers. Linked to the Citadel through advanced communication arrays and strategic uplinks, the Skywatchers provide a potent array of bonuses: increased planetary stability, bonus naval capacity across the empire, and spawning additional defense armies. Perhaps most significantly, their efforts amplify the effectiveness of all Deep Space Citadels, starbases, and defensive stations within the system.


All-seeing, ever-watchful, mildly overworked.

Your homeworld, though (probably) rich in history, bears the scars of conflict. Marring the surface are the blasted remains of the last wave of invading bioships:


“And I thought they smelled bad on the outside!”

This Origin also introduces a unique dynamic for multiplayer campaigns. If several players choose to be a Starlit Citadel empire, each will begin with their own perilous portal and their own Deep Space Citadel. As the campaign unfolds, these enigmatic wormholes are revealed to be more than isolated anomalies. Like spokes on a terrible wheel, they all lead to a single, central hub:


Who are these guys, and why are they so deeply unchill?

The Starlit Citadel Origin invites players not only to withstand these threats, but also to uncover their source. Whichever empire reaches the hub system first will face the full force of the invaders. If you prevail, you’ll have the chance to fortify this keystone system and reshape the balance of power.

Choose this origin if you enjoy a playstyle centered on defense, a narrative-driven mystery, and just a hint of betrayal among friends!

Next week Iggy will be introducing us to the Fallen Hive Mind Empire, the Fallen Hive Mind Empire, the Fallen Hive Mind Empire, and the Wilderness origin.

In Stellaris: BioGenesis, step into the role of a master geneticist, sculpting the galaxy to your design with living ships, engineered ecosystems, and enhanced species. Forge new paths with unparalleled bioengineering tools to create a civilization that thrives on adaptability and evolution – or exploit these tools to dominate the stars.

BioGenesis is available for pre-order now!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3417840/Stellaris_BioGenesis/



The Stellaris: Season 09 Expansion Pass is your gateway to an entire year of cosmic evolution, psionic mysteries, and blazing ambition. Season 09 includes Biogenesis (coming May 5th), Shadows of the Shroud (Q3 2025), and the Infernals Species Pack (Q4 2025). Plus, get the exclusive Stargazer Species Portrait as an instant unlock!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3417870/Stellaris_Season_09__Expansion_Pass/

Learn more about Stellaris: Season 09: https://pdxint.at/4iQjW4R

by PDS_Iggy

Good afternoon fellow organics! PDS_Iggy here with the latest evolutions to our organic forms.

Way back when, in the summer of 2019 Eladrin (then a simple Game Designer) was left all alone in the office with the Lithoids DLC. Once people came back to the office they were greeted with the Lithoid traits! Since then Alfray Stryke further experimented with these phenotype-locked traits back in 3.1 Lem for Plantoids and Fungoids.

Well, now we have reached the DLC that is all about genetics and organics, so of course we had to take this to the end game. For that reason I started to work on Phenotype Species Traits and that naturally led to the Evolutionary Predators Origin!




In Snail society you don’t really buy homes as much as rent sleeping nooks.

In BioGenesis, we’ve added 16 new Species Traits for you to explore at game start. Each of these is locked to specific portrait classes or, as we will refer to them here, Phenotypes. At a minimum, each one should have at least 2 positive traits and 1 negative. As you can see above, these traits are shared between Phenotypes, similar to Fungoids and Plantoids.

The intention of these traits was to make a Necroid Beacon of Liberty Subterranean playthrough feel different than a Reptilian one. Every choice in Stellaris should be an opportunity for mechanics and roleplay!


If the atmosphere is not at least 95% water, I will not leave the colony ship.


This habitat has been our home for 30 minutes. We will not be visiting the one a system over!

Negative traits are really interesting to design as they set up puzzles for the player to get around. What can you forgo, and what are you willing to pay for that intelligent trait? Here we attempted to stay flavorful to your species while providing more interesting modifiers than just simple static upkeep ones.

In addition, we have played it a bit looser with points cost here, introducing more 3-point traits that can really grant you the opportunity to craft the species that fits your fantasy.


Project Chimera is a go.

If you have been following the recent developers streams we have been broadcasting you might have heard about the Mutation path of Genetic Ascension. Well, if you fully commit and go full mad scientist you can add these traits to any of your pops. Make your egg laying, winged humans and wonder why the aliens won’t contact us.


No, I don't need a map! My genes tell me the gas station will be around the corner.

A lot of portraits don’t fit nicely into a single category, and for that, we have managed to make exceptions. So expect to see Egg-Laying platypi, Flying monkeys, Budding coral reefs, Shelled turtles, and more!
Now if you are like me, you played Crusader Kings 2 back in the day, got the cannibal trait, locked people with good genetic traits inside your castle, and ate them all to gain said traits. After that, you said, “This is peak game design!”

... Just me?

Either way, I have wanted to bring that playstyle back to our much more grounded and reality-bound game, Stellaris, and with the addition of Phenotype Traits, we finally have enough goodies to go around!


Lithoids are crunchy.

Welcome to the Evolutionary Predators Origin! This is an Origin with relatively few restrictions. As long as you are organic, you are free to play it! I worked hard to keep the language as neutral as possible. If you want to be a former hunter of the night, spreading fear across your entire planet, but now you have reformed and adopted pacifism and xenophilia, then go for it! Now, unprompted, let me show you our bat portrait.


Get down from there, this is an important diplomatic conference!​

This Origin comes with the Malleable Genes species trait, which blocks you from manually modifying your species. As you can see, it costs an exorbitant 6 points, forcing you to pick a few extra negative traits to even start the game. Luckily, your economy should still run, as Malleabele Genes is an auto-modding trait that ensures that your pops are working each job fully.

Once you get started, you will be greeted with the Adaptive Evolution situation and a homeworld carrying the Genetic Soup modifier, which will help boost your situation progress.


Mmmm, avian…​

The situation progresses faster from: fresh colonies, having many species in your empire, having a diverse council, purging, through a vassal agreement, and if you are a megacorp, through commercial pacts!


You don’t spontaneously evolve an extra heart?​

Once the situation is finished, 3 randomly generated options will be presented to you which will grant you a random positive trait from that category.

Each time you complete the situation, it will get harder to complete again. But stay the course and always seek out novel genetic material and you too can become an abomination, unknowable by mortal Blorg.


Yes, I was called into a meeting with the UX designer when I first presented this. How could you tell?​

The above example is pretty extreme and would only really happen in late mid game, but you can for sure get there if you try hard enough! As you can see the edges of, once you genetically ascend, you can also get access to the Genetic Ascension traits of old. As well as your own bespoke Evolutionary Predators’ advanced authorities!


If you ask me nicely perhaps I will share some more.​

It was very interesting designing authorities specific to a single Origin. You can go a lot more granular with the flavor and consider what a truly complete Evolutionary Predator might look like.


One final extra step I took for this Origin was to go through every single event that mentions biological species of some kind and add in an option to consume their DNA, if applicable. Finally, when you discover that ancient avian pilot you can gain Flight, or Shelled from that molluscoid that was buried in that archeological site.
Now I am hungry, so I will be signing off until next week when we’ll be securing our borders, and enduring invaders with the Deep Space Citadel and the Starlit Citadel Origin!

Until then, keep your genes safe!

by Eladrin

Today's update includes some fixes to Civilians, and armies can now invade planets. Oh, and Cosmic Storms no longer deal devastation.

Fixes and Improvements​

• AI now uses the focus system
  
• Adjusted colony designation tooltips in the colonization UI.
  
• Increased habitat district jobs
  
• Zones conversions (such as when a hive takes over a standard planet) should now function and retain buildings that fit in both zone types.
  
• Civilians no longer count as unemployed (they will still automigrate).
  
• Civilians now appear in the jobs list correctly when it is collapsed.
  
• The ANGRY RED BRIEFCASE of unemployment will now only appear if there are 100 or more unemployed pops on a planet. The orange briefcase of migration will still appear if there is any outward migration going on.
  
• Clerk icon fix.
  
• Timeline forward and back buttons can now be clicked if you have a very lengthy timeline
  
• Armies can invade planets again! There still aren’t defenders, so ground combat is very easy.
  
• More pop growth modifiers work.
  
• Fix building and district job outputs being inflated
  
• You now have to own a planet to modify job sliders
  
• Improvements to Colonization UI
  
• Planetary Ascension text is in
  
• Concepts that referred to Industrial Districts have been updated
  
• Leaders are now affected by species modification correctly
  
• More tooltips and fields show real pop numbers
  
• All planets should now have the correct number of zones (2) in their primary district
  
• Rare Resource buildings now require the appropriate deposits or technologies
  
• Enforcers and Entertainers should no longer bounce around
  
• Cosmic storms no longer cause devastation.

1. Turn off your mods. They will almost certainly cause you to crash.
   
2. Go to your Steam library, right click on Stellaris -> Properties -> Betas -> select "stellaris_test - 3.99.7 Open Beta" branch in the Beta Participation dropdown.

All previous 3.99.* Open Beta branches will also remain available. If you are having issues accessing the latest version of the 3.99.* Open Beta, please see this forum post for troubleshooting.

For more information on the Open Beta, as well as the intentions and goals of releasing such an early, unpolished version, please see this dev diary.

This is the final update to the 3.99 Open Beta.

I want to sincerely thank you for all of your feedback and assistance through the 3.99 beta test process. You've helped us a tremendous amount in helping the 4.0 release in May.

Hello Stellaris community!

I’m PDS_Bojj, a content designer on Stellaris, and as someone with a deep love for storytelling, weird science, and moral quandaries wrapped in biotech horror, working on BioGenesis has been an absolute joy. This expansion dives deep (like deep deep) into what it means to reshape life, not just physically, but culturally, philosophically, and even politically.

In today’s diary, I’m thrilled to share a look at something we’ve been brewing in the gene-vats for a while now: Biomorphosis, our brand-new Genetic Ascension path, and all the squishy systems that come with it: situations, modular traditions, and yes, even genetically-themed Advanced Authorities! It’s evolution, but make it playable.

So whether you're here for the cloned bureaucrats, the flawless über-citizens, or the writhing mutation-hives of your dreams… Auntie Bojj has got you covered!

Let’s dive in!​
​


Biomorphosis: Why not jump-start the future of our species?

In BioGenesis, we’ve reimagined the Genetic Ascension path into something more dynamic, thematic, and, dare I say… organic. Welcome to Biomorphosis, a Situation that unfolds over three stages, each one a critical turning point in your species’ transformation.​


Your Situation Approach is a lot like yourself… It matters.

When you take the newly named Biomorphosis Ascension Perk, you will start on the path to shape the future of your civilization through a series of decisions that define how your species evolves. At the beginning of each stage, you’ll select one of three philosophical and technological approaches to guide your development:
​
Purity​
The body is a sacred vessel, and perfection lies in refinement, not deviation. This approach focuses on enhancing existing traits, optimizing your species’ current genetic code, and preserving essential identity. Expect events about ideological purity, resistance to corruption (internal and external), and perhaps a little eugenics drama if you’re feeling spicy.
​
Cloning​
Mass production meets organic precision. Cloning enables you to scale your population quickly and efficiently, but at what cost to individuality? This path explores questions of identity, resource management, and ethical dilemmas surrounding consciousness and copyhood. You might find your leaders arguing about the souls of your citizens... or the cost-benefit analysis of their replaceability.
​
Mutation​
Why perfect the old when you can become something new? Mutation embraces chaos, randomness, and radical adaptation. This is the path for those who believe in progress through transformation, no matter how monstrous. As your species warps and shifts, so too will your empire! Expect powerful new traits, disturbing events, and maybe even a few limbs where there weren’t any before.​


You can’t facilitate genome research without a Genomic Research Facility!
​
Each stage of Biomorphosis brings with it new narrative events and mechanical consequences, all tailored to your chosen approach. You can double down on a single path, or mix and match to create something truly unique; a mosaic of flesh, thought, and purpose. But don’t forget to build a Genomic Research Facility on one of your planets first, otherwise you won’t have the facilities to engage in genomic research!

So, whether you’re breeding perfect paragons, churning out clone armies, or embracing the squelching beauty of the unknowable genome, Biomorphosis offers you a chance to live your best post-Darwinian fantasy.​
​
​
BioGenesis doesn’t just reshape your species, it reshapes how your empire thinks, acts, and dreams. Introducing the Modular Tradition Tree: a dynamic, partially customizable tradition system tailored to your Biomorphosis journey.​


M-U-T-A-T-I-O-N, YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR MUTATION!
​
As your empire progresses through the Biomorphosis Situation, the approach choices you make (Purity, Cloning, or Mutation) don’t just influence events, they also determine which Traditions you’ll gain access to in a new unique Genetic Ascension tree.

Each playthrough will feel different, because each tradition tree is built around a foundational path (again: either Purity, Cloning, or Mutation), augmented by select traditions from the other two, depending on your hybridization of choices across the three Biomorphosis stages.

At the end of the Biomorphosis situation, your empire unlocks a special ascension tradition tree. This tree is centered around your dominant approach (whichever of the three you selected the most during the situation). Additional picks in the tree will be drawn from the other approaches you dipped into, creating a hybrid structure.

So, if you’ve picked Mutation twice and Cloning once, you’ll get a Mutation-based tree with some synthetic reproductive flavor. Or, if for example, you go all in on Purity, you can expect a tradition tree as tight and controlled as your gene pool.

Each tradition within the tree reinforces the strengths and philosophies of its source:

Purity Traditions enhance species cohesion, trait optimization, and biological defense mechanisms.

Cloning Traditions focus on growth efficiency, leader replacement, and societal adaptation to mass-production living.

Mutation Traditions unlock exotic biology, unpredictable perks, and a flirtation with the unrecognizable.​
​
Question: Why did you do this?​
Answer: We wanted to create a system that reflects you. Not just your empire’s species, but the ideological journey you’ve taken. This modular design means you aren’t locked into one narrow vision of Genetic Ascension. It means you can experiment, mix paths, or triple-down on your biological ideals. Whether you’re crafting a society of elegant gene-purists or an unholy sprawl of ever-shifting abominations, the tradition tree will evolve with you.
​
Once you’ve completed your unique Genetic Ascension tradition tree, your empire will be ready for its next evolutionary leap, not just biologically, but politically. BioGenesis introduces a new system of Advanced Authorities, tailored to the philosophy that shaped your Biomorphosis journey.​


Everyone is equal! Even if you have tentacles coming out of your head! But also… ew.
​
Whether you rule through mandate, decree, profit, consensus, or collective consciousness, your ascended society will transform into a more specialized and thematically rich version of its base authority, infused with either Purity, Cloning, or Mutation ideology.

These are not just cosmetic upgrades. Each Advanced Authority comes with unique modifiers, and governing mechanics, reflecting the bio-political ideals your empire has chosen to embody.​
​
Here are some examples of the new Advanced Authorities:​

• Cloning Democracy, or “Cordant Multiplicity”
  This government embraces cloning technology as a testament to equality and progress. Clones stand shoulder to shoulder with natural-born individuals, their voices equally valued. The will of the people is enriched by the diversity of every perspective, clone or not.
  
  
• Mutation Hive Mind, or “Adaptive Dominion”
  This Hive's hyper-adaptive drones form a dynamic and ever-evolving force, leveraging constant mutation to overcome environmental and tactical challenges. Each adaptation strengthens the collective, ensuring unparalleled versatility and resilience as the Hive mind thrives in any condition.
  
  
• Purity Dictatorship, or “Nucleic Judiciary”
  This government wields genetic and biometric data as tools of pre-emptive justice, scrutinizing every citizen's genetic code for criminal predispositions. By intervening before transgression, it ensures order through meticulous oversight. True justice is not reactive but preventive, safeguarding society by eliminating crime at the root.
  
  
• Cloning Megacorp, or “Replicating Horde”
  Advanced cloning technology drives the relentless production of genetically identical drones, each engineered for perfect efficiency and unity. Obeying the innate command to go forth and multiply, this hive intends to blot out the stars.
  
  
• Mutation Empire, or “Genomic Expansionist”
  Embracing the unpredictable power of random mutation, this empire taps into untold potential, fostering innovations and abilities that traditional methods could never achieve. In the race for dominance, the chaos of mutation becomes their greatest advantage, propelling them toward unrivaled supremacy.
  
  
• Purity Oligarchy, or “Eugenic Hierarchy”
  Absolute power must be entrusted to the genetically ordained elite, the purest and most capable stewards of this civilization's destiny. Beneath them, each citizen fulfills a predefined role, meticulously tailored to their inherited genetic potential. Contentment flows not from ambition, but from accepting one's designated purpose.

​
​
Each of the three Biomorphosis philosophies (Purity, Cloning, and Mutation) has its own flavor of Authority type. That’s 18 total Advanced Authorities, all designed to express a vision of what society has become in the aftermath of biological transcendence.

Choosing your Advanced Authority is a crowning moment. It’s a reflection of your empire’s journey from mere organic matter to a society reborn in gene-forged glory.

That’s all from me for now. Thanks so much for reading! May your biomass be bountiful, your cloning vats efficient, and your mutations... mostly non-lethal.

Stay curious, stay squishy,
PDS_Bojj

...​
Hey, Alfray Stryke jumping in here as I’ve seen a lot of questions of “How does the Clone Army origin interact with BioGenesis??1!”

To start with, as a Clone Army origin you will be prevented from undertaking Biomorphosis until you’ve unlocked your genetic potential however, once you’ve done so you could even take the ascension perk as your first AP.​


How do you unlock your genetic potential, you ask? By completing either the Clone Fertility or Clone Potential special projects.




Clone Fertility makes your species capable of reproduction once more and allows you to undergo Biomorphosis with the complete freedom of any path you desire.
​
Clone Potential however means that your species remains as infertile clones and as such locks you to an upgraded version of the Cloning path if you undertake Biomorphosis. This upgraded Cloning path grants the following, in addition to the regular rewards:​

• The ability to genetically modify Clone Soldier species.​
  
• Regular Clone Vats, Genomic Research Facilities and Medical Buildings increase the number of Clone Soldiers sustained per planet.​
  
• Being able to apply the Clone Soldier trait to other species via Genetic Modification.​

Next week we’ll be exploring Phenotype Traits and the Evolutionary Predators Origin.

See you then!​

by Eladrin

Today's update includes some major changes to the planet view, and some very, very basic gestalt functionality.

Planets now start with six building slots in their Urban District, with two Zones available to customize its output. Your homeworld will generally begin with an Industrial (Alloys + Consumer Goods) and an Archives (Unity + Research) Zone at game start. These changes have not been replicated to gestalts or special planets or starts yet.

We are planning one more Open Beta update (3.99.7) this Friday.


Beta Features​

• Planets now have six building slots by default and two zones that can be used to specialize their urban districts.
  
  • Most empires no longer start with the early space age industry buildings or jobs
    
  • Known Issue: This has not been replicated to gestalts or special planets yet.
• Planet UI now shows last month's growth for each pop group.
  
• Added a mixed Research and Unity “Archives” Zone.

Fixes and Improvements​

• Adjusted rural job numbers
  
• Added urban zones to mining districts for Subterranean empires
  
• Clicking on a built Zone will now bring up the District Details panel
  
• By player request, the Build Queue side panel now automatically starts open when looking at your planets
  
• Prevent AI from cheating for zone building
  
• Industrial Zones now use the correct icon.
  
• Strata now show their population when collapsed.
  
• Timeline origin images are now properly masked
  
• Planetary Ascension area in the Management Tab now functions.
  
  • Add icon and style label for ascension tier in management tab
    
  • Add text with breakdown of the modifiers provided by planetary ascension
• Some Hive and Machine setup has been completed, they should be slightly functional now
  
  • Known Issue: Hives do not get Mining Drones from Mining Districts, so, uh… maybe go Void Hive?
    
  • Hive and Machine Worlds have had an initial pass
    
  • Machine Starting Conditions have had an initial pass

1. Turn off your mods. They will almost certainly cause you to crash.
   
2. Go to your Steam library, right click on Stellaris -> Properties -> Betas -> select "stellaris_test - 3.99.6 Open Beta" branch in the Beta Participation dropdown.

All previous 3.99.* Open Beta branches will also remain available. If you are having issues accessing the latest version of the 3.99.* Open Beta, please see this forum post for troubleshooting.

For more information on the Open Beta, as well as the intentions and goals of releasing such an early, unpolished version, please see this dev diary.

This week's feedback survey looks at Trade, Logistics, and Notifications and Messaging.

This week's Open Beta feedback survey is available here!

by Eladrin

Today's update adds the Betharian Zone, a Mandarin voice advisor, and new stargazer color variants, with broad fixes throughout.


Beta Features

• Added the Betharian Zone.
  
• “Venerable Scientist" (Mandarin Language) Voice Advisor
  
• Added new color variants for stargazer portrait

Fixes and Improvements

• Unbroke all colonies.
  
• Fixed issues with Catalytic Processing civics.
  
• Fixed the zone planet modifiers not being applied if districts have multiples of the same zone type.
  
• Fixed the Chosen's habitats.
  
• Pirates are a little less gung-ho to form.
  
• Planetary deficits now cost trade instead of providing it.
  
• Increased the base rate of Auto-Migration.
  
• Pops will now automatically migrate to planets with 20% habitability or higher instead of 40% or higher.
  
• When the maximum number of auto-modded pops changes, the current number is now updated correctly.
  
• City Districts now change their name and descriptions based on their zone specializations.
  
• Compressed unity and added job swaps.
  
• City set graphics scale adjusted.
  
• Updated Empire Progression Rewards to always display which technology is unlocked.
  
• Allowed rural zones on ringworlds.
  
• Removed bonus production on tier 1 buildings, removed tier 1 buildings planet limit.
  
• Pop count, Housing, and Amenities on the planet view now use short notation (such as 13.4k rather than 13405).
  
• Replaced Upgrade buttons for districts with icons.
  
• Background graphics added for all districts.
  
• Added progress bars to the zones that are being built or replaced.
  
• District/Zone/Building Construction tooltips added.
  
• Changed how selected District is being highlighted.
  
• Highlight the selected zone slot when building new zones.
  
• Display old zone name, icon and building slots if the zone is being replaced.
  
• Display the icon and name of the zone being constructed.
  
• Rural district zones can now also be built by clicking anywhere within the empty zone slot.
  
• Further Timeline UI adjustments, fixing background masking.
  
• Added designation description in the colonization UI.
  
• Adjusted district numbers in the colonization UI to show the max amount of possible districts.
  
• Added functionality to deselect a selected colony designation.
  
• Rearranged and tweaked colony modifier displaying in the colonization UI.
  
• Added new databank icons.
  
• Added starting notification for selecting Empire Focus.
  
• Added planetary deficits to the Planetary view

1. Turn off your mods. They will almost certainly cause you to crash.
   
2. Go to your Steam library, right click on Stellaris -> Properties -> Betas -> select "stellaris_test - 3.99.4 Open Beta" branch in the Beta Participation dropdown.

All previous 3.99.* Open Beta branches will also remain available. If you are having issues accessing the latest version of the 3.99.* Open Beta, please see this forum post for troubleshooting.

For more information on the Open Beta, as well as the intentions and goals of releasing such an early, unpolished version, please see this dev diary.

We also have a new feedback survey this week, which looks at first impressions of Precursor selection, Databank, Species Modification, and Game Pacing Adjustments.

This week's Open Beta feedback survey is available here!

by Alfray Stryke

Hello everybody! Welcome to our first BioGenesis development diary!

Today we will talk about ships. That are made of meat.

—

Several weeks ago, Eladrin mentioned that the ship designer changes originally planned for 4.0 "Phoenix" would not be included in the Open Beta, as they’re now needed for our upcoming Q2 DLC release. We’ve since seen a fair amount of speculation as to what we might have been cooking that’d require such changes… So please allow me to introduce our Biological Ships!


In BioGenesis, we are adding two distinct Biological shipsets, with unique ship classes and technology.

Our goals in adding Biological Ships to Stellaris were to ensure that they are not only different in appearance from mechanical ships (and space fauna), but also in gameplay. Thus, the key mechanical differences are:

• When using Biological Ships, Corvettes, Frigates, Destroyers, Cruisers and Battleships are replaced with Maulers, Weavers, Harbingers, and Stingers, each of which have three growth stages.
  
• Biological Ships, including Starbases, Megastructures and Stations, have their primary construction resource converted from Alloys (or Minerals) into Food and their Energy upkeep likewise replaced with Food upkeep.
  
• Overwhelmingly, Biological Ship technologies fall in Society Research (Biology) instead of the familiar Engineering Research (Voidcraft).

And in classic Stellaris fashion, we’ve kept the flavor and narrative around Biological Ships intentionally vague, just enough to let you roleplay them however you like. Maybe they’re an extension of your Devouring Swarm, just another drone in space. Or maybe they’re advanced bio-machines, the pinnacle of your scientific achievement.

In order to use Biological Ships, you’ll need to select one of the shipsets during empire creation.


Different types of ships prompted our UX designer to give the Shipset selector a fresh coat of paint!


Similar to Space Fauna from Grand Archive, Biological Ships have growth stages, but unlike Space Fauna, they do not naturally progress through these by aging. Instead, these ships have a unique component slot for supplementary organs that can be researched. Generally speaking, the Juvenile and Mature growth stages will likely be occupied by Growth Organs that allow the ships to progress to the next stage.



Alternatively, docking a fleet to a Starbase equipped with a Growth Chamber allows for additional growth, regardless of ship configuration.,



The accumulated growth progress for ships is shown in both the ship’s tooltip and the ship details window.





When Biological Ships are designed (either automatically or using the ship designer), all researched Growth Stages are configured as part of a single ship design. Once a Biological Ship has acquired sufficient Growth Progress, it will automatically change to using the next Growth Stage in its design. Alternatively, Biological Ships can be constructed at a shipyard at a later Growth Stage.


The three growth stages of the Weaver

Although all Growth Stages of Biological Ships use the same Fleet Command Limit for their ship class, later Growth Stages use more naval capacity, with the Mature stage using 1.5× and the Elder stage using 2× the Naval Capacity of the Juvenile stage.


Maulers primarily focus on short-range combat with shield penetration and high damage to armor and shields. Equipped with melee-range mandible weapons and either short-range S-slot or PD-slot weapons, these ships will form the bulk of your navy in the early game. Their unique mandible weapons have similar damage scaling against starbases and larger ships as torpedoes.





The unique Organ components that Maulers have access to are the Corrosive Fluids and Metabolic Recycler (and their upgraded versions)





Weavers are support ships, making use of unique weapons to apply powerful buffs to their allies or debuffs to their enemies.



Weavers have unique access to an array of six support components, each with six tiers that belong in the PD-slot.





The unique Organ components that Weavers have access to are Symbiotic Amplifiers and Developmental Pheromones





Harbingers are carriers capable of deploying large amounts of strike craft and supporting them with point defense or long range missiles.





Strike craft for empires using Biological Ships are deployed in greater numbers per fighter wing, but have reduced hull points and armour instead of shields.



The unique Organ components that Harbingers have access to are Chitin Growth Regulators and the Incubation Matrix





Stingers are powerful late-game warships, equipped with multiple XL weapons or capable of unleashing heavy broadside barrages.





The unique Organ components that Stingers have access to are Exhaust Spiracles and Rangefinder Clusters.





As each of the different Growth Stages of each of the classes of Biological Ships can be built at a shipyard, we’ve taken the opportunity to implement collapsable headers when selecting which ships to build.


This works for mechanical ships and space fauna too!

Since Biological Ships have their own weapons, armour, shield and core components, we’ve gone through and ensured that the technologies use the appropriate icons depending on if you are using a Biological shipset or not.



As part of the work required to implement Biological Ships there have been a lot of changes to how ship components are scripted. Here’s some highlights:

• class_restriction, size_restriction and slot_restriction are deprecated in favour of using the possible and potential trigger blocks instead.
  
• Core Components now have an upgrade_path parameter, components that have the same upgrade path are shown on the same row.
  
• Ship components now support the show_tech_unlock_if = { } field, like buildings.
  
• New targeting parameters:
  
  • use_ship_main_target: if yes, overrides target_type and target_focus when ship's main target is within range, default no
    
  • target_type (target_enemies (default) / target_allies / target_controlled / target_own)
    
  • target_focus (single (default) / spread)
    
  • target_type: only valid if component_set has affects_target_type = yes
    
  • target_focus: only valid if component_set has affects_target_focus = yes
• New parameters for weapons:
  
  • on_hit: apply effects to target on hit. Scope = ship (target), from = ship (shooter)
    
  • hide_damage_values_from_tooltip = yes/no # If yes, it will hide Damage and Average Damage from weapon component tooltip (default = no)

Next week we’ll be looking at Ascension, Traditions, and Advanced Governments​. See you then!

by Eladrin

Today's update includes some AI improvements and fixes to the new breadthwise job allocation.


Fixes and Improvements​

• Significant improvements to the breadthwise job assignment distribution.
  
• AI now understands the use of Zones.
  
  • (Known Inssue: Scripting weights are not yet balanced.)
• Fixed cloaking detection tooltip overwriting value breakdown with generic description
  
• Fixed demotions not working as they should
  
• Fixed factions not forming.
  
• Fixed the integration cost for subjects
  
• Fixed tooltips for Commercial Zone building mentioning clerks and soldiers
  
• Tier 1 Development focus tasks now award progress
  
• Decreased habitat district cost and upkeep
  
• Void Dweller prescripted systems now have larger deposits
  
• Habitat districts now have the same base number of jobs as regular districts
  
• Demense Zones now have the number of squire jobs increased by taking the Voidborne AP.
  
• Shattered Ring, Ringworlds and Arcologies should now be semi-functional.
  
  • (Known Issue: The "rural" segments of Ringworlds do not yet have Agricultural or Generator zones to choose from.)
• Add toggle on the header of the automation side panel to enable/disable planet automation
  
• Move "decisions" in management tab and "resettle" in economy tab
  
• Small fixes for planet view
  
• Toggle icon in surface tab and add tooltips
  
• Revamped several tutorial entries
  
• Added a new Medical Center building that gives access to Medical Workers before Gene Clinics
  
• Rebalanced Medical Workers
  
• Rebalanced the Mutagenic Spas building
  
• Entertainers and Traders no longer benefit from Gene Clinics, Augmentation Centers or Ranger Lodges
  
• Added a has_any_industry_zone scripted trigger
  
• The Revolutionary Medi-Gel now provides +25% Job Efficiency for Medical Workers

1. Turn off your mods. They will almost certainly cause you to crash.
   
2. Go to your Steam library, right click on Stellaris -> Properties -> Betas -> select "stellaris_test - 3.99.4 Open Beta" branch in the Beta Participation dropdown.

All previous 3.99.* Open Beta branches will also remain available. If you are having issues accessing the latest version of the 3.99.* Open Beta, please see this forum post for troubleshooting.

For more information on the Open Beta, as well as the intentions and goals of releasing such an early, unpolished version, please see this dev diary.

We also have a new feedback survey this week, which looks at first impressions of Precursor selection, Databank, Species Modification, and Game Pacing Adjustments.

This week's Open Beta feedback survey is available here!

It’s my great pleasure to announce the start of Stellaris: Season 09, with the BioGenesis expansion leading the way alongside the Stellaris 4.0 ‘Phoenix’ update.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/3417870

The future of evolution is here. BioGenesis continues our remastering of the Ascension Paths by granting you unprecedented power over life itself and hatches May 5th, 2025.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3417840



Two Biological Shipsets
Command living fleets that evolve alongside your empire. Customize these genetic marvels for specialized roles, from ferocious Maulers to adaptable support Weavers, each capable of empowering allies and weakening foes.

Three New Origins

• Evolutionary Predators: Push the boundaries of Species Traits by unlocking and combining unique phenotype abilities to craft the ultimate adaptive empire.
  
• Starlit Citadel: Solve the mystery of your empire’s biological attackers while boosting hyperlane choke-point strategies with early access to the Deep Space Citadel megastructure.
  
• Wilderness: Begin as a sapient planetary ecosystem, a living gestalt of countless lifeforms united in harmony, seeking to spread its consciousness to the stars.

Overhauled Genetic Ascension
Choose from three Ascension paths (Cloning, Purity, and Mutation) and over 18 enhanced Authorities. Customize your genetic ascension by blending Purity, Cloning, and Mutation traditions into a unique path for your play style.

Hives with a Twist
Encounter a Hive Fallen Empire, a fractured hive mind struggling to awake between its three splintered personalities.

Six New Civics
Genetic Identification, Crowdsourcing, Familiar Face, Aerospace Adaptation, Shared Genetics, Civil Education

Deep Space Citadel Megastructure
A versatile new defensive station capable of holding off powerful enemy fleets at any system.

Behemoth Fury Crisis Path
The apex predators of the stars are not bound by petty limitations. Cast off the biological weaknesses that hold you back, and become a force of nature.

• Gestalt Hive Empires (also unlocked by Utopia)​
  
• Two biological Shipsets with distinct mechanics from traditional spacecraft
  
• Three new Origins​
  • Evolutionary Predators
    
  • Wilderness
    
  • Starlit Citadel​
• Civics​
  • Genetic Identification
    
  • Crowdsourcing
    
  • Familiar Face
    
  • Aerospace Adaptation
    
  • Shared Genetics
    
  • Civil Education
• Deep Space Citadel Megastructure
  
• Biological Ascension (also unlocked by Utopia)​
  • Expanded with BioGenesis to include a mutable tradition tree that reflects your path through Ascension
• Exploration of the effects of Biological Ascension on society
  
• Advanced Government Forms
  
• 16 new genetic Species Traits, including phenotype based traits
  
• Portraits that change based on pop strata and leader level
  
• The Splintered Hive Fallen Empire
  
• Two Diplomatic Rooms and City Sets​
  
• 7 music tracks
  
• And a new Player Crisis Path​ - Behemoth Fury

Planned Dev Diary Schedule
March 27 - Biological Ships and Mechanics
April 3 - Ascension, Traditions, Advanced Governments
April 10 - Phenotype Traits, Evolutionary Predators Origin
April 17 - Deep Space Citadel, Starlit Citadel Origin
April 24 - Hive Fallen Empire, Wilderness Origin
May 1 - Civics, Behemoth Fury, Preliminary Release Notes
May 5 - BioGenesis Release Date

The Stellaris: Season 09 Expansion Pass is your gateway to an entire year of cosmic evolution, psionic mysteries, and apocalyptic infernos. With instant access to the exclusive Stargazer Species Portrait, this expansion pass delivers three major content packs that will redefine the Biological and Psionic Ascensions and the most ambitious species pack so far!

Purchasing the Expansion Pass grants access to all four DLCs as soon as they become available.





Stargazer Species Portrait (Instant Unlock)
Dream of the stars with this exclusive portrait, available immediately upon purchasing Stellaris: Season 09. Featuring three phenotypes and unique animations, the Stargazer Species Portrait is perfect for players who seek to embody the spirit of cosmic curiosity.



BioGenesis (Releases May 5, 2025 - $24.99)
Take command of the forces of life itself in Stellaris: BioGenesis. Engineer living ships and wield advanced genetic tools to shape the destiny of your empire. Will you create a utopia of adaptation and growth or weaponize biology to dominate the stars?

• Overhauled Genetic Ascension: Choose from three distinct paths—Cloning, Purity, and Mutation—and customize your evolution.
  
• Living Ships: Command biological starships that evolve alongside your empire.
  
• Player Crisis Path: Unleash the unstoppable Behemoth Fury on the galaxy.
  
• Three New Origins: Play as evolutionary predators, a sapient planetary ecosystem, or a fortress civilization.
  
• New Megastructure: Construct the Deep Space Citadel to control hyperlane choke points.

Shadows of the Shroud (Releases Q3 2025 - $19.99)
The psionic plane holds untold power—but at what cost? Shadows of the Shroud is a complete overhaul of the Psionic Ascension path, introducing new moral dilemmas, Patron allegiances, and a whole new way of interacting with the mysteries of the Shroud.

• Breach into the Shroud: Shape your empire’s spiritual destiny with a revamped Shroud system.
  
• Shroud Panel: Track your empire’s attunement and unlock new powers.
  
• Revamped End of the Cycle: The ultimate deal with the devil—can you delay the inevitable?
  
• Psionic Auras: Let your Shroud influence shape entire star systems.
  
• New Content: Origins, civics, ships, government types, and more!

Infernals Species Pack (Releases Q4 2025 - $12.99)
Forge your destiny in the Stellaris: Infernals Species Pack - our most ambitious Species Pack ever. Adapted to relentless heat and volatile landscapes, you wield the power of extreme environments to reshape the galaxy. Will your empire thrive in the heat, or be consumed by the very forces it seeks to command?

• Player Crisis Path: Burn the galaxy to ashes as your empire thrives in destruction.
  
• New Origins: Unearth ancient kin or endure the scorching wrath of a dying sun in two new Origins.
  
• Volcanic Worlds: A new planetary class with unique districts, events, and archaeological sites.
  
• New Species & Customization: Ships, portraits, civics, and more!

The Stellaris: Season 09 Expansion Pass is now available for purchase for $44.99 or regional equivalent, a 20% discount over purchasing the contents individually.

This Thursday we’ll flesh out the bio-ships!

See you then!


BioGenesis is now available for pre-purchase for $24.99 or regional equivalent,
or with a 20% discount as part of the Stellaris: Season 09 Expansion Pass, which is available now for $44.99 or regional equivalent.