Sean Murray Issues Statement After Once Human is Accused of Stealing No Man’s Sky Asset and Selling it at a Premium

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Sean Murray, the head of Hello Games, playfully responded to claims that Starry Studio used an asset from their game, No Man’s Sky, in their open-world survival game, Once Human. Accusations surfaced online earlier this week, and instead of getting upset, Murray joked about the situation.

A Reddit user, Koyonaku, recently noticed a strong resemblance between a cosmetic item in the game Once Human and the Base Teleport Module from No Man’s Sky. They shared their observation on the No Man’s Sky subreddit, and questioned whether it’s appropriate for Once Human to sell this similar item as a rare reward in a lootbox. While the developers haven’t confirmed if they used an asset directly from No Man’s Sky, the designs are strikingly alike. Although portal designs often share similarities across science fiction, these two are nearly identical except for color and the addition of a bicycle in the Once Human version.

Hello Games Boss Responds to Accusations Against Once Human

After the claims surfaced, Sean Murray, co-founder of Hello Games, quickly saw them. Surprisingly, instead of being upset about a potential asset theft, Murray joked that the other studio was the one who’d end up with a problem. He explained that Hello Games had accidentally made the rivets on their Teleport Module too detailed – meaning they might cause performance issues in the game because they’re so small. It’s unusual for developers to put that much detail into something players probably won’t even notice. So, if Starry Studio did copy the asset from No Man’s Sky, they’ve actually taken on a potential technical issue.

As of now, Starry Studio hasn’t addressed claims that their game copies assets from another game, but players have been quick to point it out. Many users noted the similarities, with one saying, “It’s literally the same asset!” – a sentiment shared by hundreds of others. Some believe the situation could lead to legal action, though the developer of the original game, Hello Games, seems unlikely to pursue it. The person who first raised the issue also highlighted that the copied asset isn’t earnable in-game; it’s only available through paid lootboxes in Once Human, which some feel makes the issue even more problematic.

This isn’t the first time Once Human has faced accusations of improper asset use. Previously, its developer, Starry Studio, was accused of using icons from the popular game Rainbow Six Siege. After players noticed, those icons were quickly removed.

Players are upset about the high cost of cosmetic items in Once Human. Although the game is free to play, some feel the prices are unfair. For example, one player wanted a Tron Light Cycle, which would require 15 gems – the equivalent of around $500.

Like Cyberpunk 2077, No Man’s Sky has experienced a remarkable turnaround. When it launched in 2016, the space exploration game received a lot of criticism because it didn’t live up to players’ expectations. Issues with missing features and technical problems made it a very controversial release. But through consistent updates and ongoing support, No Man’s Sky has become a popular choice for players who enjoy large-scale space exploration and survival games.

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2025-12-04 01:04