No Man's Sky: How to Start a New Settlement (& Abandon One)
Learn how to start a new settlement in No Man's Sky, and abandon any unwanted settlement. The No Man's Sky Frontiers update now allows players to start their own settlement and become the Overseer. It's a great addition to the survival space adventure game, but the very first settlement that is found isn't something that can be chosen. Too many planets in No Man's Sky are filled with harsh environments, and it's very possible that this is the case for the planet that the first settlement is built on.
It's likely that everyone will take the first chance that they can find to become Overseer of a new settlement, even if it isn't on the ideal planet. The good news is that become an Overseer isn't a permanent job that's limited to only one settlement per save. New settlements can be found, but if someone is already an Overseer of a different settlement they'll have to abandon their old settlement for the new one. All settlements are procedurally generated, like Freighters in No Man's Sky, so someone becomes the Overseer of a new settlement the old one disappears.
New settlements can be found in No Man's Sky by random chance. There isn't a guarantee that every planet will have one, but using a Signal Booster can help pinpoint new settlements on a seemingly hospitable planet. If it's a planet with crazy weather conditions like walls of fire or poisonous cyclones, it's unlikely that any settlement is going to be found by accident. On the contrary, planets that have friendly environmental effects are more likely to have a settlement present.
If all else fails, finding a new settlement is the top priority in No Man's Sky, head to the Cartographer in any space station or in the Anomaly. Settlement Charts can be purchased for five Navigation Data, and all that needs to be done is to find the follow the chart's guidance to a new settlement. Navigation Data can be found in various buildings or even aboard space stations as little orange cubes.
Starting a new settlement means all progress is starting over. This includes citizen happiness, productivity, and even the production of a new Overseer's office. Furthermore, it's unlikely that any S-Rank settlements can be found. The occasional B-Rank settlement is found if someone searches long enough, but most settlements are going to C-Rank. Unlike ships where Nanites are used to upgrade ranks, No Man's Sky settlements increase their rank with the increases of productivity and settler happiness, and the loss of debt.
No Man's Sky is available on the PlayStation 4 and 5, the Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, Android, and Microsoft Windows.