No Man's Sky adds alien Pokemon space battles in new Xeno Arena update

Hello Games has gone all out with No Man's Sky, adding what looks to be one of the most hugely addictive updates yet: Simulated alien pet battles, Pokemon-style.

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No Man's Sky's latest free Xeno Arena update is a true testament to nerdery. The update allows gamers to find, capture, and train their own xeno alien pets and then have them duke it out in turn-based combat. It very much feels like a Pokemon in space type of experience, and Hello Games has amped up the nerd dial to 11 by replicating the Dejarik alien chess board found in Star Wars.

"Find, train, and battle your pets for the ultimate rewards! Assemble your team and discover new xeno species with rare abilities. Genetically modify your eggs, and battle with friends. Together, your bond can overcome anything."

Each of the species has unique abilities based on where they are found, and Hello Games promises hundreds of battle attacks in Xeno Arena. Gamers will earn EXP from the battles that can then be spent on genetic mutations to augment abilities and customize each pet.

There are affinities and elemental attacks, complete with cross-synergy balancing--fire attacks work well against frost-oriented creatures. Hello Games has added 8 separate elemental affinities to deepen the combat scenarios and progression.

After your pet is trained up, you can visit the Space Anomaly to battle other players in online multiplayer combat, or you can play against bots at holographic tables.

Xeno Arena is live now on all platforms, creating a very real and seemingly repeatable mini-game to an already massive ecosystem of content.