For the past week, No Man’s Sky players have been led on a mysterious expedition across the galaxy with no real idea where their journey would lead. Now the “Beachhead” expedition is complete, and it’s led players to a massive Mass Effect Easter egg.
There is nothing procedurally generated about the latest addition to enterprising No Man’s Sky players’ frigate fleets. Hello Games’ cheeky ARG is actually a love letter to BioWare’s science fiction saga. Players who complete the “Beachhead” expedition before May 31 can add the SSV Normandy SR1 to their collection of frigates. They can’t fly it, but they can make it a permanent fixture of their fleet, sending it off on loot-gathering missions across the galaxy.
“We are thrilled and flattered that BioWare and EA let us pay tribute in this way,” said Tim Woodley of Hello Games in an email announcing the crossover. “As huge fans of the series, it’s a lovely moment for sci-fi fans. It comes at such an exciting time for Mass Effect, with so many people discovering and rediscovering this amazing universe through the release of the Mass Effect Legendary Edition.”
And for one brief, shining moment, No Man’s Sky became Normandy’s Sky.