Stellaris' next expansion will make synthetics a playable race

In Stellaris: Synthetic Dawn, players will for the first time be able to begin a campaign as a robotic civilization.

Paradox Interactive recently released a trailer announcing a new story pack for the studio's real-time strategy (RTS) game Stellaris. The pack will be unveiling an entirely new expansion for the game that provides access to synthetic races, fallen empires, and more. You can check out the trailer for Stellaris: Synthetic Dawn below.

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Stellaris is a bit off from the beaten path as far as video games go. There's no real shooting beyond far-off spectated battles, and even those are directed with minimal player involvement. It's an RTS game with an emphasis on governing and managing vast tracts of space. Picture a science-fiction version of Crusader Kings - and if you've never played that, then think of the Civilization series but with more politics and internal depth.

Via the Stellaris Steam page.

Much of the appeal in Stellaris comes from creating your own race of aliens, selecting their physical traits and preferred forms of government, and then experiencing the next few thousand tumultuous, strife-filled years. You can choose to become the xenophobic conqueror who dedicates themselves to expanding to every corner of the galaxy - or play as the pacifistic egalitarian who, in your love for your people, comfortably raises up a small-but-secure existence in your own little corner of space.

This wealth of options has always been a big part of the RTS genre, and with this latest expansion, yet another way to play will be arriving soon. Players will soon be able to select an entirely new race - one of artificially-created, synthetic androids.

Via the Synthetic Dawn Steam page.

The main features for Synthetic Dawn include the aforementioned ability to create "a customized robotic civilization," with which players can "complete a series of robotic portraits for science robots, worker robots, and more." There's also new event chains to follow and story features to uncover, as well as potential threats; fallen empires now may take the form of synthetic races, which can suddenly reawaken and begin obliterating the rest of the galaxy.

Stellaris: Synthetic Dawn will release for $19.99 for the PC. A release date hasn't yet been announced, though the pack is likely to be released in the coming months, if community rumors hold true.