“This is gonna break your mods”: Stellaris is getting nomad empires, aka “moving planets”, despite Paradox previously deeming this “impossible”
Stellaris will receive a Nomads expansion on June 15th, introducing nomadic empires that fundamentally transform gameplay by removing the requirement for planetary settlement. Players can now control wholly mobile civilizations traversing the galaxy aboard Arkships—massive spacecraft that simultaneously function as colonies, shipyards, and military or science vessels.
This feature represents a notable reversal from Paradox Interactive’s previous position. The developer had publicly stated that implementing planetary movement would be technically impossible, a conclusion that reportedly concerned its programming team. The successful realization of Nomads marks a significant departure from conventional 4X strategy design, which has historically centered on territorial expansion and planetary development as core mechanics.
The expansion challenges fundamental assumptions about settlement and territory that have defined the genre. By enabling purely nomadic playstyles with Arkships as mobile bases, the feature introduces entirely new strategic approaches to expansion, defense, and resource management. Rather than anchoring civilizations to specific planets, players must adapt to civilizations existing entirely within spacecraft.
The Nomads expansion will launch alongside free Stellaris content updates, indicating Paradox is offering supplementary features for the broader player base alongside the premium expansion.