Stellaris' Asimov patch includes better graphics, diplomacy, huge changelog

It's time to update your space game.

The studio that brought you Crusader Kings has released a major update to its sci-fi outing Stellaris.

Named after the lauded sci-fi author Isaac Asimov, Stellaris update 1.2 has made abundant changes to how the game looks and diplomacy.

Fleet behavior has been improved for "better looking" space battles, three new map modes and increased support for mods have been added, and borders are now open to all players by default. These borders can be closed through Diplomatic action.

Space nomads and slave factions were given a complete reworking, players can now form a defensive alliance with another empire, all ship weapons have had their range doubled, and core planets are now core systems.

The update is rather large and contains a myriad of changes and general bug squashing. If you play, you really need to give the changelog a read to know what you're in for.

Released on May 9, Stellaris broke sales records for Paradox by selling 200,000 digital copies during its first 24 hours. As of last week, it has moved over 500,000 copies.