No Man's Sky: How to Find a New Settlement (& Start One) (2024)

Players will eventually need to learn how to find a new settlement in No Man's Sky and abandon unwanted settlements. No Man's Sky's Frontiers update added the ability for players to start their own settlement and become the Overseer, but the very first settlement that is found isn't something that can be chosen. Too many planets in the universe are filled with harsh environments, and it's very possible that this is the case for the planet your first No Man's Sky settlement is built on.

It's likely that everyone will take the first chance that they can find to become Overseer of a new settlement in No Man's Sky, even if it isn't on the ideal planet. The good news is that become an Overseer isn't a permanent job that's limited to only one settlement per save. Players can find new settlements in No Man's Sky, but if someone is already an Overseer of a different settlement they'll have to abandon their old settlement for the new one. All settlements are procedurally generated, so if someone becomes the Overseer of a new settlement the old one disappears.

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Find a New Settlement in No Man's Sky

Finding settlements in NMS is almost entirely up to random chance. There isn't a guarantee that every planet will have one, but using a Signal Booster can help pinpoint new settlements on a seemingly hospitable planet. If it's a planet with crazy weather conditions like walls of fire or poisonous cyclones, it's unlikely that any settlement is going to be found by accident. On the contrary, planets that have friendly environmental effects in No Man's Sky are more likely to have a settlement present.

If all else fails and finding a new settlement in NMS is your top priority, head to the Cartographer in any space station or in the Anomaly. Settlement Charts can be purchased for five Navigation Data, and all that needs to be done is to find the follow the chart's guidance to a new settlement. Navigation Data can be found in various buildings on most planets, or even aboard space stations as little orange cubes.

Start a New Settlement in No Man's Sky

Becoming an Overseer in No Man’s Sky is fairly straightforward but still requires a bit of effort. Once in space, players will receive an emergency broadcast that points them to a settlement on a planet in the current star system. Once players arrive at the settlement, they can talk to someone that resides there. Then Sentinels will attack, and the player will need to fend them off and defend the No Man's Sky settlement. Once players have defeated the Sentinels, they can go to the Settlement Hub Interface and apply to become an Overseer. Once players are in charge of the settlement, they can start growing it by adding new buildings.

Unlike ships where Nanites are used to upgrade ranks, No Man's Sky settlements increase their rank with the increases of productivity and settler happiness, and the loss of debt. Starting a new settlement in NMS means all progress will reset. This includes citizen happiness, productivity, and even the production of a new Overseer's office. Furthermore, it's unlikely that any S-Rank settlements can be found. The occasional B-Rank settlement is found if someone searches long enough, but most settlements No Man's Sky players find out in the universe are going to C-Rank. This means that, once players find a settlement they like, it might be best to stick around for a while if they want to get the best rewards available.

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