How Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is Rethinking Live-Service Games Without FOMO

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Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions is a big change from the original Astroneer game. Instead of focusing on building a base and surviving, it now features shorter, mission-based gameplay similar to extraction shooter games. It will also be regularly updated with new content as a ‘live service.’ This kind of model often worries players because of things like limited-time events, in-game purchases, and tactics to keep people playing constantly. However, the developers at System Era have promised to avoid those frustrating elements.

Adam Bromell, co-founder of System Era and creative director of *Starseeker*, recently told Game Rant that his team is committed to running the game as a live service in a fair and respectful way – for both players and the developers themselves. *Starseeker* wants to use the positive parts of a live-service approach while avoiding anything that goes against their goal of creating a positive experience.

Starseeker Doesn’t Mind If You Can’t Always Play

Players who enjoy games that are constantly updated often find themselves overwhelmed, feeling like they need to play every day to avoid missing out or losing progress. A recent example is *Dune: Awakening*, where players have to log in regularly to manage resources or risk losing significant time investment. Thankfully, Bromell explains he prioritizes designing live-service games that don’t penalize players for how much—or how little—time they have to play.

This game is designed to be continuously updated and supported, allowing us to improve it and keep players engaged over time. However, we want to avoid creating pressure or requiring a huge time commitment. We’re aiming for a flexible experience where players can enjoy the game at their own pace – whether it’s a couple of hours a month, a week, or every day. It’s all about giving players freedom and control from the very beginning, letting them play however they want in a freeform environment.

Games that constantly update (live-service games) can be great for players who don’t have a lot of free time, but only if those players don’t feel like they’re falling behind. If a game feels like a chore – something you *have* to do every week – it ruins the fun. If Starseeker removed the pressure to play regularly and didn’t punish players for taking breaks, people with busy lives might actually enjoy coming back to it when they have the chance.

How Starseeker Avoids FOMO

A common challenge for games that are constantly updated is ‘FOMO’ – the fear of missing out on limited-time events and items. To help with this, the developers of *Starseeker* plan to occasionally bring back popular content from past seasons. This gives players who couldn’t participate before another chance to enjoy it, while also preventing the development team from being overwhelmed. By working at a sustainable pace, System Era believes they can deliver better quality content for everyone. According to Bromell,

That means we need to avoid creating a sense of urgency or fear of missing out. We even discussed the idea of a ‘Disney Vault’ – bringing back older content for a limited time. I’d like to re-release the planets from Season 3, allowing players to finish collecting those stickers. If you didn’t get a chance before, it might come back in the future. Importantly, I don’t want to overwork my team or grow the company too quickly. We want to keep players engaged and respect their time and investment responsibly, while also ensuring our employees have a healthy work-life balance.

Starseeker feels different from many other online games that constantly push players to keep playing. If you like games that get updated and improved over time, but struggle to stay dedicated long-term, System Era’s new co-op game could be a great fit.

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2025-10-12 03:36