---
title: "Empyrion - Galactic Survival: Complete Survival Guide"
game: "Empyrion - Galactic Survival"
game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/empyrion-galactic-survival"
author: "Qloud"
author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud"
topics: ["Builds", "Crafting"]
summary: "A start-to-spaceflight guide for Empyrion - Galactic Survival: surviving your first planet, building bases and vessels, power and fuel, the tech tree, factions, warp travel, and what's new in the 1.19 updates.…"
url: "https://qna.gg/g/empyrion-galactic-survival-complete-survival-guide-049bf28c"
published: "2026-09-27T20:28:42.468Z"
updated: "2026-09-27T21:07:57.953Z"
source: "QnA.GG"
---

# Empyrion - Galactic Survival: Complete Survival Guide

A start-to-spaceflight guide for Empyrion - Galactic Survival: surviving your first planet, building bases and vessels, power and fuel, the tech tree, factions, warp travel, and what's new in the 1.19 updates.

*Researched September 2026 — current as of v1.19.6 (Build 5188, 24 September 2026) following the v1.19.5 update. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.*

## Quick Start

1. **Survive the first 20 minutes.** You start with limited oxygen, food and tools. Grab loot from your starting area, find food and plants, and build shelter quickly.
2. **Learn the four structure types.** Base (BA), Capital Vessel (CV), Small Vessel (SV) and Hover Vessel (HV). Each has its own blocks and rules.
3. **Every structure needs a Core.** No core, no functioning devices.
4. **Power is life.** Generators need fuel; solar can supplement. A powered base with oxygen and constructors is your first real milestone.
5. **Mine everything early.** Iron, copper, silicon and cobalt are the backbone; rarer ores unlock better tech.
6. **Spend Unlock Points carefully.** You earn them by leveling; the tech tree gates what you can build.
7. **Watch status effects.** Temperature, radiation, food poisoning and parasites can kill you slowly. v1.18 reworked them and improved their icons.
8. **Use Workshop blueprints** if building isn't your thing; spawning them still requires resources in survival.
9. **Try the "Testing Grounds" scenario** only if you want the newest content; it's where Eleon tests changes like the new Arkenian POIs and Trading Lines.

## Game Status (2026)

| Version | Date | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| v1.13 | August 2025 | Completely new galaxy, POI and mission overhaul, and the conclusion of the main story; needed a new save to get everything |
| v1.14 | November 2025 | Story fixes, economy balance, passenger seats that persist, and a Blueprint subscription limit raised to 500 |
| v1.15 | February 2026 | Short Range Warp: jump close to a planet or moon in the same playfield (25-second cooldown for all scenarios and warp drives) |
| v1.16 | March 2026 | New Charged Combat Steel block; more POIs, vessels and enemies to make systems livelier |
| v1.17 | May 2026 | Warp Route Planner for plotting multi-jump routes; block limit in BlocksConfig.ecf raised to 8192 (code mods must offset item IDs) |
| v1.18 | Early July 2026 | Major status effect rework that minimizes overlapping or identical effects |
| v1.18.1 and 1.18.2 | July 2026 | First Steam and Epic achievements; new status effect icons |
| v1.19 | 4 August 2026 | 11th anniversary; limited-time Anniversary 2026 achievement; new achievements with up to 3 tiers; Pirate Treasure hunt |
| v1.19.1 and 1.19.2 | August 2026 | Anniversary achievement window extended; debug activation for starter planet missions |
| v1.19.5 | 23 September 2026 | 100+ new Arkenian Republic POIs and first "Trading Lines" in Testing Grounds |
| v1.19.6 | 24 September 2026 | Official servers show correctly in the browser |

Empyrion entered Early Access on 5 August 2015, left it on 5 August 2020, and is still updated by Eleon Game Studios. A free weekend ran in July 2026. The only paid DLC listed on Steam is **Dark Faction**.

**Returning after a long break?** If your last save predates v1.13, start fresh: that update replaced the galaxy, POIs and missions and finished the main story, and Eleon said a new save was needed to get all of it.

### PC requirements (Steam page)

| | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10/11 64-bit | Windows 10/11 64-bit |
| CPU | Dual-core 2.5 GHz | Quad-core 3 GHz |
| RAM | 10 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | GTX 1050 / RX 550 (2 GB) | GTX 1660 Ti / Vega 56 (4 GB) |
| Storage | 10 GB | 15 GB |

The Steam page says an SSD is highly recommended. Supported languages are English, German, French, Russian, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese and Greek.

## Scenarios and Starting

- **Default Random** is the standard survival scenario.
- **Testing Grounds** is a separate scenario where new content lands first (for example the v1.19.5 Arkenian POIs). You can only test those changes by starting a new game in it.
- The paid Dark Faction DLC adds its own scenario content.
- Community **custom scenarios** from the Workshop can overhaul the whole game.
- **Creative mode** drops food, resources and enemies so you can just build; it's the best place to design and test a blueprint before paying for it in survival.

When you start, choose a starter planet. Temperate worlds are the gentlest; desert, snow and other extreme worlds add temperature and hazard pressure. Starter planet missions are available through the **PDA** (the in-game mission and help log). As of v1.19.2 there is a debug option to activate all five starter planet missions in the PDA under Solo Missions, then Help & Feedback Debug Options.

## Your First Day

1. **Loot your starting area** and the escape pod for supplies.
2. **Gather plants and food.** Forage fruit and berries and hunt small creatures. Cook when you can.
3. **Watch oxygen.** Refill with oxygen bottles or at oxygen stations; some planets have breathable air.
4. **Craft the basic tools** you are given access to (a drill or multi-tool and a portable constructor).
5. **Mine iron, copper, silicon and cobalt** from surface deposits.
6. **Place a Base.** Build a Core, walls, a generator with fuel, a fuel tank, a constructor and oxygen supply.
7. **Farm food** with growing plots inside the base.
8. **Add defenses** (turrets) if you are near hostile structures.

### Survival Stats

| Stat | Danger |
|---|---|
| Health | Death |
| Food | Starvation damage |
| Stamina | Can't sprint or work |
| Oxygen | Suffocation |
| Temperature | Heat stroke or hypothermia |
| Radiation | Radiation burn (fixed in v1.18 to trigger above 5 RAD) |

The v1.18 rework reduced overlapping and identical status effects, and the PDA's Empyriopedia explains each affliction. Power bars and energy bars no longer cause frequent indigestion (v1.18.1).

## Structures

| Type | Where | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Base (BA) | Ground or space | Home, production, defense |
| Capital Vessel (CV) | Space and atmosphere | Mobile base, warp travel, heavy weapons |
| Small Vessel (SV) | Space and atmosphere | Fast fighter or transport |
| Hover Vessel (HV) | Planet surface | Ground transport and mining |

Rules:

- **Every structure needs a Core, a power source and fuel.**
- Vessels need **thrusters** in every direction you want to move, plus **RCS** for turning.
- CVs are the standard vessel for **warp travel** between star systems; check your tech tree for which warp devices your version offers.
- Blocks have a **CPU and mass cost**; check limits before stacking devices.

## Power and Fuel

- **Generators** run on fuel stored in **fuel tanks**.
- Fuel is crafted from **Promethium** ore; energy cells and larger fuel cells are more efficient.
- **Solar panels** with capacitors supplement bases.
- Always keep spare fuel in your vessels. Running dry in space is a common death.

## Crafting and Production

- **Portable Constructor** (early), then larger constructors in bases and CVs.
- **Food Processor** for meals.
- **Deconstructor** to recycle blocks.
- The **factory** block builds vessels and structures from saved or Workshop blueprints (resources still required in survival).
- Constructors queue jobs; bigger constructors work faster and can make more advanced items.

## Resources

| Resource | Used for |
|---|---|
| Iron | Steel plates, basic blocks, ammo |
| Copper | Wiring, electronics |
| Silicon | Electronics, solar |
| Cobalt | Alloys and devices |
| Promethium | Fuel |
| Neodymium | Advanced devices |
| Pentaxid | Warp fuel |
| Sathium, Erestrum, Zascosium, Gold | Higher-tier parts and weapons |

Rarer ores appear on specific planet types, moons and asteroid fields. Orbital asteroids are often rich; bring an SV or CV with drills.

## Leveling and the Tech Tree

- Most activities give XP; leveling grants **Unlock Points**.
- Spend them on the tech tree to unlock devices and blocks.
- Priority: power and oxygen devices, better constructor, an SV core and thrusters for leaving the planet, then CV parts and a warp drive.

## Factions and Threats

The galaxy features many NPC factions, including the **Polaris, Zirax, Talon and Kriel**, the **Arkenian Republic** (which got 100+ new POIs in v1.19.5 Testing Grounds), pirates and traders, plus the factions added by the paid Dark Faction DLC. Your standing with each faction decides who shoots on sight; check the faction screen before approaching a POI.

- The **Zirax** are the classic hostile faction with drone patrols and bases.
- **Traders** buy and sell goods; the v1.19.5 **Trading Lines** make trader stock match each station's theme, so trade routes become predictable.
- Hostile **POIs** (points of interest) hold loot and cores. Destroying or capturing enemy cores is a major source of loot and XP.

### Pirate Treasure (v1.19)

A treasure hunt added in v1.19: watch the landscape and your map for hidden **beacons**, then use a **detector** to locate buried treasure. Rewards include three new posters, among other loot.

## Travel

- **SVs** handle planet-to-orbit and short hops.
- **CVs** with a warp drive and **Pentaxid** fuel jump between systems.
- Plan longer journeys on the **galaxy map** and check your Pentaxid supply against the number of jumps before you leave.
- **Short Range Warp** (v1.15) lets you jump close to a planet or moon in the same playfield, with a 25-second cooldown.
- **Warp Route Planner** (v1.17) helps you plan routes through the galaxy instead of working out each jump by hand; use it to sanity-check a long trip before you commit your Pentaxid.

### A sensible travel progression

1. **Hover Vessel** for crossing your starter planet and hauling ore.
2. **Small Vessel** to reach orbit and nearby moons, mine asteroids, and scout POIs.
3. **Capital Vessel** as a mobile base: constructors, storage, a medic station and a warp drive.
4. **Warp out** only after you've stocked Pentaxid for the return trip.

## Multiplayer

- Official servers are marked in the multiplayer browser; v1.19.6 fixed them not always showing as official.
- PvE areas are safe; PvP planets carry real risk.
- Factions and alliances let groups share structures.
- On official EU and NA servers, some epic items (CPU cores, upgrade kits) moved from traders to POI loot in v1.18.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

- **Leaving the Core exposed.** Lose it and you lose the structure's functions.
- **Running out of fuel** on a vessel.
- **Building a CV before you can fuel it.**
- **Ignoring CPU and mass** limits.
- **Attacking big Zirax bases early.**
- **Not reading status effect icons.**
- **Mixing custom scenario saves with vanilla expectations.**

## Advanced Tips

- **Use Workshop blueprints as templates**, then customize with ReplaceBlocks-style tools and the texture copy function.
- **Build armored bunkers** around your base core and generators.
- **Stock spare Pentaxid** before deep exploration.
- **Scout with an SV first**, then bring the CV.
- **Track rare ore locations** on the system map for later mining runs.
- **Use the forums** (empyriononline.com) to give feedback on experimental features.

## FAQ

**Is Empyrion still updated?**
Yes. v1.19.5 landed on 23 September 2026 with a hotfix (v1.19.6) the next day.

**What's the difference between CV and SV?**
Capital Vessels are large and can warp between systems; Small Vessels are fast and more limited.

**How do I warp to another system?**
Build a CV with a warp drive, stock Pentaxid fuel, and plan the jump on the galaxy map.

**Where do I find rare ores?**
On specific planet types, moons and asteroid fields; use the system map and scanners.

**What is Testing Grounds?**
A separate scenario where Eleon tests new content before it reaches Default Random. Start a new game to try it.

**Are there Steam achievements?**
Yes, since v1.18.1 (July 2026), with more added and tiered in v1.19.

**Do I need a new save for the latest content?**
For v1.13's new galaxy and story ending, yes. For the v1.19.5 Arkenian POIs and Trading Lines, you must start a new game in the Testing Grounds scenario.

**Is there a building-only mode?**
Yes. Creative mode removes food, resource and enemy pressure so you can just build.

**What PC do I need?**
Steam lists 10 GB of RAM and a GTX 1050 / RX 550 as the minimum, with 16 GB recommended and an SSD highly recommended.

## Sources

- [Empyrion - Galactic Survival on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/383120/Empyrion__Galactic_Survival/)
- [Empyrion Steam news (v1.18–v1.19.6 changelogs)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/383120)
- [Steam News API feed for Empyrion](https://api.steampowered.com/ISteamNews/GetNewsForApp/v2/?appid=383120)
- [Empyrion official forums](https://empyriononline.com)
- [Empyrion - Galactic Survival on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empyrion_-_Galactic_Survival)