As 2025 comes to a close, we're celebrating a very special milestone: seven years of X4: Foundations! In a brand-new XLOG video, Egosoft founder and Managing Director Bernd Lehahn sits down to look back at another full year of updates and new content - including our recent Ship Packs - while also sharing a first glimpse of what's coming next.

To mark this anniversary, the X4 base game is now 90% off during the Steam Winter Sale. If you've been waiting to bring friends into the X universe, now is the perfect moment. There are, of course, also discounts on expansions as well as previous titles in the series. Check out our developer page on Steam to find all current deals!

This XLOG also features several development insights, including:

As part of the upcoming 9.00 update, we are beginning to revisit and refresh ship models created many years ago. With our art pipeline having evolved significantly since the early days of X4 development, it is time for older small and medium ships to receive some well-deserved attention. This transition to our current standards not only supports future facelifts and new ship features, but also allows us to rethink weapon compatibility and make more impactful balancing decisions.

At the same time, the team is working on a comprehensive rebalance of X4's large arsenal of weapons, turrets, and shields. Together with improvements to weapon mechanics, combat AI behaviours, and the user interface - including a new way of issuing high-priority combat orders - these changes aim to make space battles more dynamic, tactical, and enjoyable.

Bernd takes a moment to dive deeper into DLSS Frame Generation, a feature we introduced earlier this year, explaining how it works and why it is particularly beneficial for a game like X4.

Development of our next major free update for X4: Foundations (9.00) is progressing steadily, and we're aiming to kick off the Public Beta phase in early 2026. As usual, we will dive deeper into all the improvements and changes that will come with this next major update once the Public Beta phase starts.

Thank you for an amazing seventh year of X4!
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and see you in space!

Welcome to the ultimate space sandbox experience with X4: Foundations!
In this updated overview video from earlier this year, we dive into what makes X4 truly unique among space games - especially interesting to our new visitors discovering X4 thanks to the current Steam Winter Sale.

🚀 Is X4 a space simulation, an action game, or an empire-building adventure? The answer is yes - it's all of that and more! X4 offers a vast, persistent universe where you start with just one ship and limitless possibilities. Whether you want to explore, trade, build massive space stations, or command entire fleets, X4 gives you the freedom to shape your own path. From small beginnings to galactic dominance, every choice you make impacts the universe around you.

https://steamhost.cn/app/392160/X4_Foundations/

☄️ Why simulate tens of thousands of NPC ships and stations? Because it’s about immersion - creating a living, breathing world that reacts to your actions. Unlike MMOs, X4 combines the speed and precision of a single-player game with the depth of a simulated universe.

👨‍🚀 Get ready to experience space like never before! Whether you're a veteran player or new to the series, this video will give you a fresh perspective on what makes X4 the ultimate space sandbox.

Want to learn more? Check out our Beginner's Guide YouTube Playlist, featuring a lot of different early game tips from different content creators!