Stars Reach Update 8.8.0 Adds Leadership, Stealth, and Cartography

Stars Reach is getting a large “Lead the Way” update with three new profession-style systems: Leadership, Stealth, and Cartography. The update is version 8.8.0, though the studio has only said it’s “coming soon” for now.

According to the official post, the patch is aimed at giving groups more tools for exploration and combat, while also expanding planetary governments, building controls, and several existing professions.

• Leadership lets players support nearby allies with Focus reduction, Focus restoration, group signals, rally points, and an Emergency Evac option for parties.
• Stealth gives Rangers scent masking, hiding, sneaking, opening attacks, and awareness tools. It affects creature detection, not other players.
• Cartography adds survey progression, shared survey credit for groups, persistent waypoints, and tradeable waypoint items. Surveyed map squares expire after seven real-world days.
• Rangers get more camp rewards and new Trailblazer tools, including fire, ice, and lighting abilities.
• Medics are getting expanded progression, including Mass Heal, Surge, Siphon upgrades, and a new Sanctuary channel that heals nearby allies while draining Focus.
• Pistoleers get new control options, including Stunning Ricochet and expanded Pistol Whip upgrades.

Combat is also changing. Creature groups can now include roles like healers, guardians, ranged attackers, flankers, disruptors, and brutes, so target priority should matter more. Some stronger attacks can be interrupted if players deal enough damage during their wind-up, creating a short vulnerability window.

Planetary governments are getting more structure too. Mayors can handle permission petitions while offline, publish government announcements, and manage exceptions for private homesteads once a government reaches level 10. Elections will run every 14 days, and the update will reset existing votes and candidacies while keeping current mayors in place.

Builders get a new placement interface with move, lift, spin, tilt, and roll controls, plus smaller snapping increments and better placement protection. Homesteads also become account-owned, storage limits are going up, and crafting stations will lose durability through use instead of over time.

There’s a lot more in the full notes, including map improvements, chat changes, skill search, character customization updates, and technical fixes. Tradeable full maps and a HUD minimap are still in development.

Further reading: Official Stars Reach Lead the Way update