Paradox Interactive revealed today that its space strategy game Stellaris has passed 1.5 million copies sold since launching in May 2016. The in-house development team, Paradox Development Studio, also released the Apocalypse expansion today, which features new planet-scale combat and weapons. The DLC is available now for $20 on PC.
Stellaris is a 4X game, which is a term that refers to how players can “eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate.” And the Apocalypse expansion definitely leans into that last one. It introduces the new weapon Colossus capable of destroying whole planets à la Star Wars’ Death Star. Players will also be able to pilot new ships called Titans that give bonuses to their entire fleet, fortify planets against attacks, and hire nomadic Mauraders as mercenaries.
In addition to the new units, Stellaris: Apocalypse will include ascension perks, which are powerful abilities can give bonuses like more defense to ships or unlock new research options. Homeworlds will also have new civics, and players can use their in-game currency to customize their gameplay in more ways.
The paid expansion is released alongside Stellaris’s free 2.0 Cherryh update, which will affect the way players travel with wormholes and how starbases work.