State of the galaxy: November 2026

I see the numbers behind the Old Light galaxy every day, while most players spend their time in their own corner of it. So once a month I am going to write down what happened across the whole map. This first report covers the month from October 14 through November 13 in Alpha, the one galaxy that is running right now. Every figure comes from the game's own records.

Players founded 318 new empires this month and captured 8,698 stars, more than in any month since the galaxy started keeping count in July. The month before saw 7,400. The number of owned systems went from 12,679 to 17,580, up 39%.

The month in numbers#

Of the 8,698 captured stars, 974 were taken from human empires: 751 by other humans and 223 by NPCs. Empires fought 72,863 battles, and the attacker won 49,745 of them, 68%. The busiest day was November 1, with 430 stars captured, the last of three days in a row above 400.

Over the same month 50 human empires were eliminated, and 34 empires whose players had gone quiet were taken over by NPC rulers.

The rise and fall of EeqMCsq#

EeqMCsq was founded on September 1 and spent most of October growing. It captured 322 stars this month, most of them from NPC empires, and on October 28 it held 1,517 systems, the largest empire the galaxy has seen since it started tracking the record on October 21.

The fighting that brought it down had started a week earlier. In the week of October 19 EeqMCsq took 46 stars from Popzi, an empire founded back in June. Popzi answered the following week and took 213 of EeqMCsq's stars in seven days. In that same week woblet took 193 more and Dergonic another 74, while EeqMCsq managed to take back 16.

From October 27 to November 13, EeqMCsq was attacked 3,431 times and won 214 of those fights. Its fleets destroyed more than a million enemy ships in that time, not counting probes, and lost almost exactly as many.

It now holds 994 systems and 84 sectors, enough for second place, and over the month 283 stars changed hands between it and Popzi alone, more than between any other two empires. It is also the only empire in the top ten that has not chosen a government.

Dergonic, the month's biggest conqueror#

No empire captured more stars this month than Dergonic, with 481. It was founded on September 21, so it is not yet two months old, and it entered the top ten this month.

Most of that growth came at the expense of NPC empires, 404 stars, but Dergonic also took 77 from human players, 74 of them from EeqMCsq in the week of October 26. It claimed 25 sectors over the month, more than any other empire, and now holds Barycenter of the Distant Folded, the sector where more stars were captured than anywhere else. From October 27 on, Dergonic launched 2,556 attacks and won 2,149 of them.

Two ways to grow#

Vanter captured 386 stars, and 368 of them came from NPC empires. It barely touched other players and still climbed to 975 systems. It also holds 89 sectors, more than EeqMCsq does with more systems.

Popzi and woblet went the other way. Popzi took 225 of its 343 captures from human empires, and woblet 208 of its 339, nearly all of them from EeqMCsq. Popzi is now the largest empire in the galaxy, with 1,426 systems and 122 sectors.

Further down, jisteven captured 225 stars and Gabzom 212, and neither of them took a single star from another player.

Where the fighting was#

Some stars changed hands again and again. The star at 164, -116 went back and forth between bebe21 and the NPC empire Indisarios five times this month, and bebe21 holds it now. ItsSacraficed lost the star at 113, -149 to two different NPC empires and took it back both times. Popzi and EeqMCsq traded the star at -82, -104 four times, and EeqMCsq has it at the moment.

The most attacked sector of the month was Zeta Bastion, with 414 attacks, and not one of its stars changed hands. Barycenter of the Distant Folded saw the most captures, 24, and two of the sectors bordering it are also in the top five.

New empires#

Several of the 318 empires founded this month have grown quickly. Alcaron, founded on October 15, holds 52 systems. Elwin Ransom, founded on October 29, already has 35. Dragula was founded on November 4 and holds 26 systems ten days later.

Governments arrive#

Governments went live on October 30, halfway through the month, and 58 human empires run one now. Consortium is the most popular with 24, Admiralty has 18 and Protectorate 16.

Among the largest empires the picture is different. Seven of the top ten run an Admiralty, the government that gives +5% offense when attacking and lets your vanguards drain at least 25 loyalty from other players' stars. Popzi, Vanter, woblet and Dergonic are all among them. There are still 29 human empires with two or more systems that have not picked one.

NPC empires lean military too: of the 862 NPC empires with two or more systems, 408 run an Admiralty.

Deals and treaties#

Empires proposed 87 deals to each other this month and accepted 63 of them, and 25 peace treaties were signed. Players also accepted 352 offers on the offer board.

The largest empires now#

By systems held on November 14:

The leaderboard ranks every empire by score, and the galaxy map shows where each of them sits.