According to Wccftech, it’s been almost two years since Hello Games stunned the 2023 Game Awards with Light No Fire’s reveal trailer, which became the most viewed trailer of the event. The No Man’s Sky developer’s next project aims to create a single Earth-sized planet rather than a whole galaxy, featuring high-fantasy creatures like dragons and skeletons in a fully shared multiplayer world. Founder Sean Murray recently confirmed only a “tiny team” is working on the game “at pace” in the background, while the studio’s roughly fifty employees continue supporting No Man’s Sky with regular updates. Murray says he’s “really pleased” with progress but most fans interpret this as meaning the game could still be several years from release.
The Hello Games Dilemma
Here’s the thing – Hello Games is stuck between a rock and a hard place. They’ve got this massive, ambitious project that could redefine exploration games, but they’re trying to build it with what sounds like a skeleton crew. With only about fifty employees total and No Man’s Sky still getting regular, substantial updates, how many people could possibly be working on Light No Fire? Five? Ten?
And let’s be real – this is the same studio that famously overpromised and underdelivered with No Man’s Sky’s launch. It took them eight years to dig out of that hole and finally earn that “Very Positive” rating on Steam. They absolutely cannot afford another botched release, even if it means taking the slow and steady approach.
Ambition Versus Reality
Look, what they’re promising sounds incredible. A single, Earth-sized planet with no loading screens where the entire community exists together? Mountains you can actually climb, oceans you can sail, and persistent settlements that other players can discover? That’s basically the holy grail of shared world gaming.
But let’s ask the obvious question: can a “tiny team” really deliver on that scale? We’re talking about creating procedural generation that works at planetary scale with meaningful variation – biomes, ecosystems, civilizations. That’s an insane technical challenge even for a massive studio with hundreds of developers.
Living in No Man’s Sky’s Shadow
The constant No Man’s Sky updates are both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, they’re keeping the lights on and maintaining community goodwill. On the other, they’re clearly draining resources from what should be their next big thing. At some point, they’ll have to make a tough call – either grow the studio significantly or pull people off No Man’s Sky to focus on Light No Fire.
I can’t blame them for being cautious though. After the No Man’s Sky launch disaster, they’ve earned the right to take their time. But two years in with just a tiny team? That suggests we might be looking at a 2026 or later release at this pace. Basically, don’t hold your breath.
The Waiting Game Continues
So where does this leave us? With a game that sounds incredible on paper but might be stuck in development hell for years to come. The fact that Murray felt the need to even mention the “tiny team” suggests he knows fans are getting impatient.
The real test will be whether Hello Games can eventually shift into high gear without repeating their past mistakes. They’ve proven they can deliver amazing content over time with No Man’s Sky – now they need to prove they can launch something properly from day one. Until then, we’ll just have to keep watching those same trailer screenshots and dreaming about what could be.
