The press finally got their hands on Stars Reach at Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles, and the early coverage is full of praise for its ambitious sandbox design. Developer Raph Koster gave guided tours of the game, letting journalists experience the player-driven world firsthand.
What the Press is Saying
PC Gamer called it “the second coming of the sandbox MMO,” highlighting the 40+ Star Wars Galaxies-style professions and player-built cities. Writer Harvey Randall pointed out a striking example of player freedom:
“One of playtesters’ largest guilds is an animal conservation union: ‘They actually try to preserve all of the different species of animals and plants, because if you choose to pave this place over, you can actually drive the creatures extinct. That species will never appear again in the game.’”
Other outlets compared it to genre giants. One preview described it as having “shades of No Man’s Sky’s level of exploration freedom” mixed with the social depth of EVE Online. The skill tree, they noted, feels like a natural evolution of Koster’s work on Star Wars Galaxies, blending combat and non-combat roles into a single ecosystem.
More Coverage Rolling In
The buzz doesn’t stop there. PCGamesN reported on Koster’s goal to make the MMO “wiki-resistant” to preserve discovery. ScreenRant called it “even more ambitious than No Man’s Sky,” while CGMagazine named it one of the best games at Summer Game Fest 2026.
You’ll find more interviews and hands-on previews dropping over the coming weeks. The team promised to share them as they appear.
