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How To Breed In No Man's Sky
Egg Sequencer, Trading, and Hatching
Raising Your Companion
No Man's Sky has gameplay centered around raising your own fauna. The Companions update lets you bring your favorite discoveries on space journeys with you. All you need is to make a few creature pellets, feed an alien you like, and then register them in the companion menu. From there on out, your new friend will be able to travel through the vast expanses of space with you.
Related: No Man's Sky: Where To Find Navigation Data
Players can breed their favorite creatures to create babies or even take the egg to the Egg Sequencer on the Space Anomaly for genetic altering. That means you can genetically engineer adorable wonders or create monstrous nightmares. With so many genetic anomalies to explore, let's dive right into this all-encompassing guide regarding companions and the new egg sequencer in No Man's Sky.
Updated May 1, 2023, by Sean Murray: Nobody wants to explore the universe alone, so we've updated this guide with a few formatting tweaks for greater readability.
How To Breed In No Man's Sky
Breeding creatures in No Man's Sky is actually pretty simple, but there are a few things to understand first.
- Only befriended creatures can be bred.
- Procreation doesn't take two in No Man's Sky. Even single males can lay eggs independently.
- Companions will need to be on a planet with compatible conditions to the one they were discovered on. Companions will not lay eggs in atmospheres that are too hot, cold, or radiated for their indigenous requirements.
- Companions can only lay a single egg every 24 hours of real-world time. This may be the biggest hurdle in breeding companions, as it means you will need to wait for the egg timer to hit zero after obtaining a companion in order to breed them.
Egg Sequencer, Trading, and Hatching
Once the option to lay an egg becomes available, the process goes pretty quickly, and the new egg will stay in your inventory until you choose to hatch it. Like with breeding, eggs take 24 hours to hatch.
For players who want something a bit different from their current pet, they can head to the new Egg Sequencer located on the Space Anomaly.
Trytrading with other explorers. By trading eggs from different planets, players can obtain even more unique companions to modify and travel alongside.
The Egg Sequencer
When you get to the Space Anomaly, head to the right side and up the ramp. The upstairs room will now have the sequencer in the corner. Selecting the Egg Sequencer will bring up an interactive menu allowing you to alter the egg. This is where the process is going to get a bit more complicated for most players.
- You'll place your egg in the top slot.
- You'll slot items in the four slots below. Every item you add in or take out is going to alter the genetics of the egg.
- The dosage is listed under each slot. You will need to keep in mind the dosage and type of items you are using to modify your egg successfully.
Here is a breakdown of the four categories:
Growth | Underdosing will make the creature smaller, while Overdosing will make them grow larger. Players wanting a huge creature should try to raise the dosage as high as possible. |
|---|---|
Splitter | This will directly affect the animal's anatomy; going over or under the dose will change the companion's proportions. |
Dye | This will change the color of your companion. Like with the other categories, the dosage tells you how stable the coloring will be |
Neural | This affects the temperament of your creature. Increasing the dose will make their primary trait stronger while decreasing it will make the trait weaker. |
Using the Gene Splitter at the Egg Sequencer can significantly alter the hatched companion's appearance. Exercise caution when using this feature.
Hatching Eggs
Once you are done altering the egg, the modified version will be deposited back in your inventory. Players will need to experiment with different elements to observe their effect on the egg.
You will need to wait another 24 hours for your egg to hatch. Once this time period has elapsed, ensure that you have an extra companion slot free and go to your inventory. Select the egg and then "Hatch" to see your newest friend.
Raising Your Companion
Hatching an egg is just the start of the breeding journey. Naturally, the new hatchling is considered a baby in the game and will likely be pretty small. This means that you can't just go riding your new friend around as soon as they are born. Here are some tips for raising the infant creature.
- Carry your companion with you and interact with them as they grow.
- Like your regular companion, you will need to pet young aliens and feed them Creature Pellets.
- Reports from players seem to indicate that companion growth time will vary. Some creatures are able to mature in just 24 hours, while some can take weeks to reach maturity.
- Be sure to check in on your baby regularly to feed them and nurture their happiness.
For tips on caring for your new companion, check out our companion care guide here.
Next: No Man's Sky: Smuggling Guide
