Hello there everyone, Iggy here! We’ve had a busy week, now let's see what Eladrin wanted me to talk about… The Hive Fallen Empire and the Wilderness origin? In the same diary?Okay… Buckle up for a Wild ride! Hive Fallen Empire For the first time since Synthetic Dawn, a new ancient will join us in the galaxy: a Hive Mind, once united in purpose, now lies fragmented. Each embodiment is stuck trying to execute its own directive. Each has plans for becoming the dominating force within their former collective… and you might be able to nudge who ends up in charge.
Stellaris supports conference calls now?After an uncertain but definitely horrible disaster splintered their consciousness, The Hive was left in 3 fragments: Growth, War, and Control. Each one with its distinct personality, system, and tasks. Though don’t let differences fool you. They are all in a federation with each other, and declaring war on one will see you fight all three.
So different, yet refusing to be far apart.This Falle... Read more

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 CitadelUnlike 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 w... Read more

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 Read more

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! Phenotype Species Traits
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... Read more

by EladrinToday'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 modifi...

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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!

The Biomorphosis Situation

Biomorphosis: Why not jump-start the future of our species?In BioGenesis, we... Read more

by EladrinToday'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. Stellaris 3.99.6 'Phoenix' Open Beta Release Notes
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

• Adjuste...

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by EladrinToday's update adds the Betharian Zone, a Mandarin voice advisor, and new stargazer color variants, with broad fixes throughout. Stellaris 3.99.5 ‘Phoenix’ Open Beta update
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 un...

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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! MEAT SHIPS! MEAT SHIPS! MEAT 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...

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by EladrinToday's update includes some AI improvements and fixes to the new breadthwise job allocation. Stellaris 3.99.4 'Phoenix' Open Beta Release Notes
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-function...

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Metal rusts. Flesh adapts.
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/3417870The 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
Evolution had its chance. Now it’s our turn.
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 hyper...

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by EladrinAnother update today for the weekend! Lots of important changes in this one. Stellaris 3.99.3 ‘Phoenix’ Open Beta update Fixes and Improvements

• Habitats are now semi-functional in the Open Beta.
  
  • Habitats now derive their maximum mining, generator, and science district development based on the resources in the system. Orbital deposits grant 1 + (half their base value, rounded down) maximum district development.
    
  • Habitat orbitals are automatically constructed for free when a new district is completed on the central habitat complex, if one can be built
    
  • Habitat orbitals are now megastructures instead of dummy fleets, preventing them from being attacked (and therefore attempting to to flee from attackers)
    
  • Habitat orbitals now collect the resources from the deposit that they are built over
    
  • Habitat orbitals now have the same upkeep as mining and research stations, since they serve similar purposes
    
  • Habitat districts now take longer to build and cost alloys to build
    
  • Habitats now gain +...

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by EladrinHi everyone!We’ve entered our second week of the Stellaris 3.99 ‘Phoenix’ Open Beta, and if all goes according to plan are planning another update tomorrow morning with some major changes to the starting situation of your planets. (Goodbye, primitive factory debuffs. I'd say we'll miss you, but... we won't.) What Have We Learned So Far? While we recognize that the early state of the Open Beta makes it difficult to provide balancing feedback, it’s proven itself invaluable already.The Open Beta has found several issues with growth and decline - from robots causing the inevitable decline of your empire to Fallen Empires and Pre-FTL societies being doomed due to not using standard growth models. You’ve found economic death spirals and identified needs that will help our designers produce a better balanced and fun experience in the final release.These were precisely some of the types of things I was looking for when we decided to push the Open Beta despite the early state that it ... Read more

by EladrinWe have another update to the Open Beta today, and are planning for another later on this week. Stellaris 3.99.2 'Phoenix' Open Beta Release Notes
Fixes and Improvements

• Added an Industrial Zone for mixed alloys and consumer goods
  
• The focus task "Embrace a Faction" is changed to "Promote a Faction"
  
• Added two focus tasks for MegaCorps to establish branch offices
  
• Updated costs of special projects that have costs that scale with the number of pops
  
• Changed every_owned_pop to every_owned_pop_group, so now looping through groups
  
• Made ethic changes work on pop groups instead of pops
  
• Updated robot pop checks to pop groups
  
• Zones now have icons associated with their type.
  
• Zones now have a larger active area to click on that is clearly visible.
  
• Planet UI now has basic Zone tooltips
  
• Replaced a bunch of placeholder icons with less placeholder ones.
  
• Revamped Rise of the manifesti event chain
  
• Created new message type for new terraforming candidate events and turned them into a notification...

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by EladrinHello everyone!We've updated the Open Beta to 3.99.1, with the following changes: Stellaris 3.99.1 ‘Phoenix’ Open Beta update
Fixes and Improvements

• Fallen Empires are blocked from using the Existential Expulsion casus belli
  
• Negative effects added to the Magnetic Disruption planet modifier
  
• Assembling robots will no longer cause the slow and inevitable decline of your growing pops
  
• Changed auto pick leader traits setting to default to off
  
• Made Species Rights button different for pre-sapients

Pops and Workforce

• Fixed traders not being created from trade zones
  
• Adjusted amenities and housing from luxury housing
  
• Pops now have appropriate Diplomatic Weight
  
• Civilians now grant the benefits associated with culture workers

Planetary View

• Tabs in the Planet view now have correct hotkeys
  
• Urban Zones now show their titles
  
• Moved the build district level button from District Details view into the Planet Summary screen
  
• The Build Queue tooltip no longer says "Previous"
  
• Displaying the District t...

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by EladrinSurprise! An early Stellaris Dev Diary!Last week I mentioned that on Friday we’d evaluate the current build, and I’d see if I could provide a timeline for the Open Beta. Things have been progressing well, so we’ve decided to put a very early version of some of the 4.0 changes to test a few aspects of the new systems.The Stellaris 4.0 update changes a lot of things - you can find a lot of the details in the dev diaries of the last two months. This first build of the 3.99 Open Beta only contains a focused subset of the changes, and many are still in a work-in-progress prototype state. It is not polished, or even done yet.The 3.11 Technology Open Beta very quickly found some performance issues with the Breakthrough Technologies that we were experimenting with, and as the pop systems have advanced far enough to be mostly functional, I want to get some broader gameplay done on that system in particular, even if the rest of the systems have not yet reached a fully playable state. A... Read more

by EladrinHello everyone!We’re still hard at work getting the features we’ve been describing into the game, but this week we’re giving you a bit of a progress update, and I’ll be giving my thoughts on what shape they’ll be in when we begin the Open Beta. As with everything over the past couple of months, all of this is still subject to change.We’ve successfully gotten past the critical milestone of “the game is no longer completely broken”, and things are starting to come together very nicely. DD #367[forum.paradoxplaza.com]: Precursor Selection, Databank, Species Modification, and Ship Designer The first three are fully functional and will be in the Open Beta.The Databank still has some placeholder graphics on some buttons, and we’re planning on adding more entries, but it’s good enough for the Open Beta.The work for the Ship Designer changes was done in the Q2 DLC branch to support that release, and while it is functional it will not be in the Open Beta (but will be in the final rele... Read more

by EladrinHi everyone!This week, Gruntsatwork will discuss the technical details of pop group scripting. This topic is likely to be of most interest to the modding community.The systems we’re implementing now are just scratching the surface of where we want to go with them - we’re looking forward to some of the things we’ll be able to do with these tools over the next few years as well as seeing what you do with them.As with all of these dev diaries, some of this is still subject to change during implementation and during the beta.
Pop Groups and Jobs Hello everyone, Gruntsatwork here! Let us talk about some of the script changes that are coming with 4.0 when it comes to pops and jobs…As Eladrin already mentioned in Dev Diary 370, we are changing the way we look at Pops by grouping them together into Pop Groups. These groups are defined by their species, traits, ethics, and factions but NOT their jobs. It is entirely possible and likely for a pop group to have pops working different jo... Read more