Stellaris has long had a history of rich and deep total conversion mods, fan-made overhauls that let players take one of the most successful space strategy games of recent history and turn it into everything from Warhammer to Star Wars. Trek mods are no stranger to it either, but now they have new competition: an official Trek spin on 4X gaming from Paradox themselves.
Previously revealed at Summer Games Fest last weekend in a non-gameplay trailer, today, celebrating the fabled Captain Picard Day, Paradox and developer Nimble Giant Entertainment dropped new details on Star Trek: Infinite, a new game set in the era of the late 24th century that lets players take command of iconic Star Trek civilizations to Explore, Expand, Exploit, and Exterminate their way across the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Head on over to the official Trek website to see the new trailer.
And yep: there’s no surprises that at least on the surface this very much looks like Paradox’s work on Stellaris already — similar mission trees, similar conversation windows, a similar aesthetic, it just so happens to be with a Star Trek coat of paint, as players pick one of four factions (the Federation, the Romulan Star Empire, the Cardassian Union, and the Klingon Empire) to explore the galaxy. Each faction promises unique differences beyond aesthetic, including storyline quests and different strengths and weaknesses to how they navigate conflict, diplomacy, and resource management.
Honestly though? There’s nothing wrong with Infinite just being an official spin on Stellaris’ mechanics, from the publisher that makes Stellaris. It’s a pretty perfect fit for Trek, and given the popularity of already turning Stellaris into Trek in the community anyway, it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out with official backing.
Star Trek: Infinite will launch on PC sometime in Fall 2023, and is available to wishlist on Steam now.
Want more Gizmodo news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.