Matrix Games Forums

A new Distant Worlds 2 is now live, bringing a range of gameplay improvements, new options, balance changes and stability fixes.
Download it here: https://ftp.matrixgames.com/pub/Distant ... .3.7.5.zip


Key Update Highlights:
• Independent Colonies can now become full empires earlier, with a new setting to enable or disable this feature.

• Boarding & Raiding have been rebalanced, with more unpredictable battles and reduced raid rewards.

• Artifacts can now be traded through the Diplomacy screen.

• New Research Location filters make it easier to identify and target foreign research sites.

• Pirate gameplay has been rebalanced, including reduced ship production and increased protection fees.

• Galaxy Map visuals, weapons, ships and story events have received various improvements and fixes.

• Multiple crash fixes and stability improvements.

Full changelog: https://ftp.matrixgames.com/pub/Distant ... atsnew.pdf


We're ready to release the new DLC, don't miss Distant Worlds 2: Shadows Rising on October 7th.

Changes in 1.3.7.5 (September 21st, 2026):

CRASH FIXES
- fixed various rare crashes

GAME START SETTINGS
- added new game start setting: Independent Colonies Can Become Empires. This enables/disables independent colonies from transitioning to full empires when they reach a sufficient population/development threshold

GALAXY MAP
- updated Empire Territory shader (Galaxy map) to use more subtle alpha-blending of flag images.
- further refinements to empire flags in galaxy territory map: reduced maximum size of flags within each territory area, flags now only show when zoom out to level where system badges disappear, added options in game settings to control: On, Off or only on when Diplomacy overlay is active

USER INTERFACE
- added new filter option in New Research Locations list: 'All - including foreign occupied'. This option includes all known research locations that your empire has not exploited yet (even when another empire has built a research station at the location). This allows you to target and take over foreign research locations
- ensure sort and filter settings for Control Center lists are persisted in savegames (Military Ships, Colonies, Characters, etc)
- now include all non-zero income and expense factors when displaying government data in start new game screen

INDEPENDENT COLONIES
- greatly reduced level when independent colonies decide to become space-faring empires (lower population and development required), thus happening sooner in the game
- independent colonies that transition to space-faring empires get a significant boost from a Population Boom event that lasts for several years, greatly increasing rates of population growth, happiness and development
- ensure independent colonies always have at least one luxury resource if the planet type allows
- increased resource consumption rate for independent colonies

ARTIFACTS
- can now trade artifacts in Diplomacy trade screen. Artifacts do not show for trading unless have good relations with faction (approximately +12 or better)

CONTRACTS
- ensure do not offer contracts to acquire artifact for independent colony when they already have the artifact
- ensure do not offer contracts with 2 rewards of the same type

SHIP MOVEMENT
- slightly increased ship turn rate when stationary or slow
- fixed ships and fleets mistakenly being assigned move missions when right-clicking the header bar to crash research the current project

WEAPON DATA
- Many weapon components data refreshed
- now cater for weapons with volley fire that cannot complete their volley (volley shot amount * volley fire rate) within the normal fire rate interval (now show correct energy usage and DPS)

BOARDING AND RAIDING
- aligned boarding defense value from crew for ships and bases so that more consistent (50% of crew amount)
- reduced default ship/base defense values for boarding by 50%
- made ship/base boarding battles more random, less dependent on overwhelming forces
- added chance for base raids to end before all attackers or defenders are wiped out, i.e. the raid completes early. Raid success influenced by ratio of attackers and defenders when raid completes
- reduced resource amounts gained from raids
- reduced chance of full tech breakthroughs from raids
- colony raids now less likely to damage facilities at the colony

RESEARCH
- tweaked priority for researching Warp Bubble Generator hyperdrive so that less concerned about researching other items first, i.e. Warp Bubble Generator researched sooner.

DIPLOMACY
- fixed diplomacy advisor sometimes suggesting offering oversize monetary gifts to very large independent colonies

PIRATES
- reduced build rate for pirate ships
- fixed pirate cruiser sometimes not being generated when pirate base attacked
- ensure long-term diplomatic bonus from Pirate Protection Agreement is removed when the treaty is cancelled
- doubled pirate protection fee from 125 to 250 credits per month

SHIP DATA
- various fixes for ship hulls
- included refresh of ShipHullModelData files for all ships and bases, thus improving startup times and stability

EVENTS
- now prevent a faction from acquiring an abandoned ship or base when they have untriggered events that the faction cannot trigger.
- various fixes for story events
- now show normal ruins summary (bonuses, etc) when investigate ruins that have choice game events that cannot be executed by the investigating faction

- improved story event placement (debris fields, abandoned ships and bases, etc)

PLAGUES
- tweaked time interval calculation for plagues so that better handles plagues with high frequency

ZENOX
- fixed some minor typos in the Zenox dialog text
- fixed Zenox' Search the Archives' event