Jorie McKibbin 
Hello Games is known solely as the indie studio that made No Man’s Sky, but since 2018 it has been working on its next big project; Light No Fire.
No Man’s Sky was widely panned on release for failing to live up to the hype, but subsequent updates have seen it become something loved by many. Given this, it’s natural to wonder what to make of a similar game from the same studio. Will it have a similarly rocky start or is Hello Games now better positioned to create a vast, open-world game at launch?
Co-founder of Hello Games Sean Murray has discussed a desire to avoid past mistakes in future games. He confirmed in 2020 that another game was in development, but gave no details to avoid over-promising again. But now, Light No Fire has been revealed and fans are excited to see what might be in store.
What is Light No Fire?
Hello Games’ next release will be Light No Fire, an open-world fantasy exploration game assisted by procedural generation with a world the size of the actual planet earth.
Though it’s been in development for five years, Light No Fire was among the many games that were officially revealed at The Game Awards 2023, alongside the likes of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero and Monster Hunter Wilds. Light No Fire is a multiplayer fantasy survival game with a strong emphasis on exploration and collaborative building. Players will be able to explore and leave their mark on a procedurally generated world the size of the real-life Earth.
The emphasis on building and exploration will likely stand out for anyone who has played No Man’s Sky. No Man’s Sky allowed players to trot across an actual galaxy, with an infinite number of planets to explore.
Will Light No Fire be anything like No Man’s Sky?
Light No Fire will share some key elements with No Man’s Sky, but is significantly different due to its high fantasy setting and focus on a single planet.
No Man’s Sky allows players to explore a functionally infinite procedurally generated sci-fi universe, with far more planets available than anyone could hope to visit. By contrast, Light No Fire will be limited to a single fantasy-themed planet. However, the scale of that planet will match the size of the real-life planet Earth.
Considering that the Earth is nearly 197 million square miles, a digital environment of the same scale is a very ambitious undertaking. No Man’s Sky was technically more ambitious in scope but Light No Fire aims for a more grounded feel and, in all likelihood, a more focused experience.
When is Light No Fire coming out?
Hello Games has yet to set a firm release date for Light No Fire. However, the game is in a late stage of development and could be coming soon.
While it’s not known for sure when it will come out, Hello Games has been working on Light No Fire for five years. The screenshots and footage available show fully functional gameplay and a wide variety of environments and interactive content. Fans can be cautiously hopeful that the game will launch soon, but it’s unknown how far long the game is and what degree of polish it might need.
