Publisher Paradox Interactive has announced the Stellaris 3.1 update is now available alongside the news the base game is free to try this weekend.

The new Stellaris 3.1 update ‘Lem’ is named after renowned sci-fi author Stanislav Lem, and is the first update from the grand strategy game’s new “custodians” team, who are focused on smaller and frequent updates to improve the overall quality and playability of the game.

While Stellaris was originally released way back in 2016, the game has received numerous expansions, updates, and more – adding a behemoth amount of content to the already massive grand strategy game. If you try the game for free this weekend, it’s also on sale for 75% off its base price, lowering it to $9.99. Several of the DLC expansions are on sale too.

Here’s a new trailer:

Here’s a rundown on the new Stellaris 3.1 update:

This is the first release from our new Custodians Development Team at Paradox Development Studio. This team will operate in parallel to the “Expansion Team”, which will focus on creating new content for Stellaris. Read more about the Custodians Initiative here.

This patch is named to honor the 100th Anniversary of the birth of renowned Sci-Fi author Stanisław Lem, bringing with it a host of balance changes, bug fixes, AI improvements, as well as adding content to several previously released paid DLCs.

Selectable Traditions (Free Feature)

For the “Lem” Update, Traditions have been reworked, in addition to adding a new Tradition Tree to the base game (Mercantile), we have also removed empire limitations on Tradition Trees that were previously in the game, reworked some of the Tradition Trees, and redesigned the user interface for Traditions. We have also added the Unyielding Tradition Tree (requires paid DLC Apocalypse) and the Subterfuge Tradition Tree (requires paid DLC Nemesis).

Now, instead of having a fixed 7 Tradition Trees to unlock, Empires can now choose 7 from up to 11 (with all the DLC) Tradition Trees, adding further customization to players’ empires.

New content for Plantoids Species Pack (paid DLC)

• Along with the free Lem Update, The Plantoids Species Pack now comes with two additional Civics and three new Species Traits.
• Catalytic Processing Civic: Changes Metallurgists to Catalytic Technicians, who convert Food into Alloys
• Idyllic Bloom Civic: Allows the construction of Gaia Seeder buildings on ideal planets, which after a series of upgrades will terraform the planet into a Gaia world
• Budding Species Trait: Pops with this trait will reproduce by budding, adding Organic Pop Assembly to planets they live on
• Phototropic: Pops with this trait have 50% of their Food upkeep converted to Energy.
• Radiotropic: Pops with this trait have 50% of their Food upkeep converted to Energy, but do not pay the Energy portion of their upkeep on Tomb Worlds.

New content for Humanoids Species Pack (Paid DLC)

• The Humanoids Species Pack now comes with a new Clone Army Origin, as well as two new Civics.
• Clone Army Origin: Do not reproduce naturally, but instead rely on Ancient Cloning Vats to reproduce. Natural warriors, Leaders and Armies get combat bonuses, but Clone Army Empires are limited by the number of Ancient Cloning Vats buildings they can construct across their empire.
• Pleasure Seekers Civic: Gain access to the Decadent Lifestyle Living Standard, giving Increased Happiness in exchange for Increased Consumer Good upkeep. In addition pops working Entertainer jobs add to Pop Growth, and Servants produce 5 extra Amenities
• Masterful Crafters Civic: Artisan jobs are replaced by Artificer Jobs, which in addition to Consumer Goods, also produce Trade Value and Engineering research. For Empires with this civic, every three Industrial Districts on a planet also will unlock another building slot.

New content for Necroids Species Pack (Paid DLC)

• The Necroids Species Pack has been rebalanced in the Lem Update, with the Reanimated Armies Civic being named to Reanimators, as well as other changes.
• Necrophage Origin: Can now be taken by Hive Mind empires, pops are now also more likely to escape the Necrophage Purge, as well as several other balance changes to bring Necrophage more in-line with the other Origins.
• Death Cults Civic: Have had the odds of getting bonuses when sacrificing Mortal Initiates increased based on the percentage of the Empire’s overall population sacrificed, as well as the total number of jobs created by Sacrificial Temple buildings reduced
• Reanimators Civic: Start with the ability to build Dread Encampment buildings and they now create Undead Defense Armies. In addition, enemy armies destroyed in battle have a chance of returning as Undead Armies and can reanimate certain Leviathans that have been defeated in battle

The Lem update comes with a wide array of new toys for our Modding Community to play with, you can read more about Modding in Lem here.

For the full list of changes included in the 3.1 “Lem” Update, you can read the patch notes here.

Stellaris is available on Windows PC, Linux, and Mac (all via GOG, and Steam), PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.