Space Nation is set to officially go free to play with a major new Season 0 update that might go live soon.

What Is Space Nation Online?

Space Nation Online is a sci-fi MMORPG that allows players to carve out their virtual life and role in the vast Telikos Cluster star system. Whether you want to become an explorer, miner, starship manufacturer, fighter, plunderer, or something else, this Immutable zkEVM-powered 3D game gives you the freedom to choose your playstyle as you participate in its player-driven economy and play to earn the game’s in-game currency, CHR, which can be converted into ecosystem token $OIK.

Why Is Space Nation Going Free to Play?

The new update, also referred to as Resurgence, essentially makes the web3 game an almost entirely free to play title, as it significantly expands upon the number of Fuel-Free Zones to allow all players to explore nearly all of the game’s content without needing to pay for anything.

Once the update goes live with this massive expansion of Fuel-Free Zones, you will now be able to travel through most of the existing game maps for free, without needing to spend on fuel.

The reason why the developers are doing this is because they believe in “pure spacefaring joy while building a robust economy” and want to help out new players get into the MMO in an easier way. By making the game more accessible, new players will have an easier time mastering all of the game’s systems while allowing them to experience main and side quests as well as fully explore the game’s universe and lore without worrying about any restrictions, potentially keeping newcomers engaged and thus converting them into dedicated players.

To complement this change, the team plans to soon introduce special training instances to help new players get to grips with important features such as combat, gear systems, and consumables.

While most of the game is going free to play, some exceptions will of course be present. One of the exceptions is that auto-coordinators will continue to charge additional fuel points. Another is the new Anszu Battle Front scene, which has expectedly not been included in the fuel-free zones. Though the official announcement does not explicitly state this, I expect some of the future game maps to also require using fuel, as this shift to a free to play model seems very much like how some traditional MMOs let you experience most of the game for free, but then require you to pay up to unlock expansions. It’s a good way to bring newcomers in and potentially grow the playerbase to then have them engaged enough to be willing to spend on new content. But I digress; the final exception officially noted is that the game’s basic output model will be properly tweaked “to adapt to this fuel-free area expansion.”

The announcement states that the team will listen to community feedback and optimize fuel-free zones accordingly while adding more free content in upcoming updates, so it looks like F2P players will get more new goodies to enjoy as well. There are also plans to launch special events “to enhance your experience,” but details on how those will work were not revealed.

What’s New in Season 0: Resurgence?

Season 0 not only makes most of the game free to play through a big expansion of Fuel-Free Zones, but it also brings new seasonal gameplay and a couple of new additions for a more competitive and enhanced blockchain gaming experience.

Among the latest additions is the introduction of a new galactic environment, the “ANSZU Frontline”, in which you can expect to face tougher enemies to earn adventure rewards. There will be a new seasonal Battle Pass system to activate and unlock rewards in, while holders of non-functional NFTs will be able to gain “special functions” by installing the new Orbital Calibrator.

Last but not least, this major gameplay update brings with it a new MOBA game mode: Starscourge. Players can expect to enjoy more “intense PvP challenges and richer rewards” through this new competitive addition to the blockchain MMO.

“[Season 0] Resurgence marks a fresh start for Space Nation, introducing new seasonal gameplay that makes the game more competitive in each season. We hope veteran players will find enjoyment and rich rewards in the Resurgence version, and we also welcome newcomers to freely experience the fun of the game.”

To successfully launch this update and kick off the season, there will be a data reset. To compensate, some items will be converted into a new resource called Bonds, which can be used post-update for buying certain items and resources. A resource exchange will also be available in the Shop “with limited-quantity redemption per rotation.”

After the initial update announcement, the team also revealed that a weapon system revamp is coming to the game as well, though it’s not clear if this overhaul will be included with the launch of the new update. In any case, some of the changes this revamp brings includes defined role classifications for the 3 weapons that ships can have: primary, secondary, and tactical. Primary is your reliable DPS, secondary is a tactical medium-cooldown weapon with buffs or debuffs, and the tactical classification refers to high-burst “Ultimate skill” weapons that can significantly turn the tide of battle in your team’s favor.

The update was initially announced to go live on July 17, but since there has been no 48-hour notice for a maintenance, that release date may have been delayed. Either way, with the data reset and the switch to delivering a mostly free to play experience, now seems like a great time to jump in and start your play to earn odyssey in this space opera.

How to Play to Earn in Space Nation Online

There are many different ways in which you can play to earn in Space Nation Online, which you can download for free through the game’s website. You can earn by playing as a miner, fighter, explorer, or arms dealer, all of which have a role to play in the game’s blockchain-powered, player-driven economy.

As a miner, you will want to create, buy, or lease a mining ship, which will make it easier to mine minerals at the mining area. This mineral can be sold for CHR, the in-game currency that can be used to make upgrades and buy better ships and equipment, but a currency that can also be sold to earn tokens such as $OIK, an ecosystem token used for governance, NFT trading, and more.

Check out the official documentation to learn more about how you can play and earn in this crypto game. Given that the Season 0 update marks a fresh start for the game with the amount of changes it brings, the ways in which you can earn may or may not be significantly impacted and altered, so be sure to keep an eye on the game’s social media channels for more detailed info on what’s in store for this next chapter.

Back in March 2025, Space Nation reported $2.5 million game revenue in 154 days. A new roadmap and a first look at Project Grok were also unveiled around a similar time.