X4: Foundations News

Captains, the 2025 Steam Awards nominations have begun - and we'd be truly honoured if you'd consider nominating X4: Foundations for the "Labor of Love" category!

Valve themselves describe the category as follows:

"This game has been out for a while. The team is well past the debut of their creative baby, but being the good parents they are, these devs continue to nurture and support their creation. This game, to this day, is still getting new content after all these years."

Since its launch in 2018, X4: Foundations has grown tremendously thanks to your feedback, passion, and support. From major free updates to years of new content and improvements, we've continued to build and expand the X universe together.

With five major expansions, two Ship Packs, and much more still ahead, we're as dedicated as ever to this universe that's just as special to us as it is to many of you. The fact that we're still able to develop and grow a single-player game seven years after its release - and that it continues to thrive - is genuinely mind-boggling.

If you feel that X4 embodies the spirit of a true Labor of Love, we'd be delighted if you gave us your nomination.

You can do so directly from the top of this news post, or through several other places on Steam - including the Steam Awards nominations page, our store page or the community hub.

Thank you for continuing to explore, trade, build, and fight with us in the X universe. Your support keeps this journey going.

The X4: Envoy Pack introduced a new stealth-ready frigate, jointly developed by the Argon Federation and the Teladi Ministry of Finance. Beyond its advanced features - the Cloak stance, faction camouflage protocols and a fully explorable interior - the Envoy stands out for how its design blends high-tech efficiency with a sense of real, functional space.


Today we're taking a look behind the scenes at the concept art process for the Envoy, created by Jerzy and Yari, Concept Artists at Egosoft. We sat down with them to hear about the design process and the challenges involved.

[h3]Cloak and Dagger[/h3]
During early exploration, the team developed the idea of the Envoy having two contrasting modes - internally nicknamed "cloak and dagger."

"The sleek cloak mode allows the ship to glide quietly under radar," Jerzy explains. "When switching to normal mode, the 'jaws' open up - an aggressive, spiky look revealing the weapon systems ready to go guns blazing."

This visual duality became a defining feature of the ship's silhouette: calm and streamlined in stealth, sharp and dangerous in combat.


[h3]A Compact World Inside a Ship[/h3]
The Envoy features one of X4's most fully explorable interiors, designed to feel like a real, self-contained environment. Every room and corridor serves a purpose, reflecting the ship's role as a stealth-ready frigate developed for delicate operations.

"The Envoy's interior was imagined like a submarine environment," explains Yari. "We pushed the corridors to be narrower, while keeping the main rooms more open."

"That contrast gives you both the claustrophobic and the spacious feel of a real ship," adds Jerzy.

This combination of restricted passageways and more generous living areas creates a rhythm that mirrors the Envoy's stealthy purpose - compact but sophisticated.


From the captain's quarters to the corridors and cockpit, the design emphasises tight proportions and interlocking modules, giving the ship a grounded, functional atmosphere that supports its advanced technology and mission profile.

[h3]Designing on the Grid[/h3]
Behind the scenes, the interior design wasn't just about looks. The team had to reconcile the Envoy's angled, modular shapes with the game's internal grid system.

"We built much of the interior around 30° and 60° angles," Yari recalls. "It gave the spaces character, but it was tricky - those angles don't align easily to a central grid."

That challenge defined the ship's corridors and junctions, giving them the slightly offset, industrial feel players can sense when walking through.


[h3]A Slice of Life[/h3]
The Envoy's interior was also meant to feel alive - not just a sterile technical space, but a place where people actually live and work.

"For the fully explorable interiors, we wanted a bit of personality," says Yari. "You can see how the crew works, and passes time - even small touches like a plush toy help make it feel real."

These human details add depth to the ship and help players imagine the daily life aboard.


[h3]From Concept to Reality[/h3]
From the first silhouettes to the final render, the Envoy evolved through countless iterations - balancing stealth and strength, utility and comfort. Many of the shapes and proportions from Jerzy and Yari's early work remain clearly visible in the finished ship.

"The Envoy also pushed us further than before in terms of interior scale and complexity," adds Egosoft's Lead Artist, Lino. "We always try to raise the bar for what design can make people feel on board our ships."


The Envoy embodies what makes X4: Foundations special: believable, functional design that feels like a world of its own.

If you haven't yet explored it yourself, the X4: Envoy Pack is available now. And if you already own the X4: Hyperion Pack, released earlier this year, don't miss the X4: Ship Pack Bundle - complete your collection and enjoy a 10% bundle discount!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3778100/X4_Envoy_Pack/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po6mp8CkrN0

At Egosoft, we’ve spent decades building the X universe, a living sandbox where ships, stations, and entire economies evolve dynamically. Our friends at ROCKFISH Games, meanwhile, have carved out a stellar reputation for fast-paced, story-driven space action with EVERSPACE 2. Now, we’re joining forces in a brand-new Steam bundle that celebrates multiple sides of the genre.

Whether you prefer charting your own empire in X4: Foundations or chasing loot and glory in EVERSPACE 2, this bundle brings together two wonderfully complementary ways to experience life among the stars.

For players who already own one of the two titles, there’s good news: you’ll automatically get a 10% discount on the other. A perfect opportunity to broaden your horizons!

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/61996/

We’re delighted to team up with ROCKFISH on this, and we hope both communities will take the chance to explore, compare notes, and share their stories of interstellar adventure.

Hello everyone,
we’ve released the third hotfix addressing an issue with beam turrets.

[h3]In case you missed it:[/h3]
>> Now Available: Diplomacy Update (8.00) & X4: Envoy Pack

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/49933/X4_Ship_Pack_Bundle/
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h2]X4 8.00 Hotfix 3 Changelog:[/h2]

• Fixed beam turrets not firing at incoming missiles.
  

Hello everyone,
we’ve released the second hotfix addressing several issues found since the Diplomacy Update.

[h3]In case you missed it:[/h3]
>> Now Available: Diplomacy Update (8.00) & X4: Envoy Pack

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/49933/X4_Ship_Pack_Bundle/
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h2]X4 8.00 Hotfix 2 Changelog:[/h2]

• Added Closed Loop production for Envoy and Cypher.
  
  
• Improved behaviour of lasertowers when shooting at surface elements.
  
• Improved combat behaviour of Asgard to improve damage to target when using main weapon.
  
  
• Fixed rare case of ships not firing at station modules.
  
• Fixed weapons firing at targets that are hidden behind something else.
  
• Fixed Sapporo missile launcher sometimes not firing at capital ships.
  
• Fixed station turrets not firing if set to Attack fighters first or Shoot missiles first.
  
• Fixed non-commonwealth shipyards requesting commonwealth resources.
  
• Fixed Envoy weapons production costs.
  
• Fixed several causes of crashes.