No Man’s Sky dev fixed one fan’s 611-hour save because “when a player has put that much into our game it deserves the engineering fix” – Gamesradar
It’s not every day that a developer goes out of their way to fix a player’s save file, especially when that save file clocks in at over 600 hours. But that’s exactly what happened to one No Man’s Sky player who lost access to their precious save file after an update.
Reddit user u/Aeryth posted on the No Man’s Sky subreddit about losing their save file after updating the game. They had been playing the game for a very long time, putting in over 611 hours of playtime. Understandably, the player was very upset. They poured their heart and soul into their save file, and they couldn’t bear the thought of starting all over.
“My save is 611 hours into the game, and all my progress, hours of play, and things I had crafted, farmed, collected etc are all gone,” the Reddit user wrote. “It feels like the hours I spent playing have vanished, and with it all the discoveries and fun I experienced in the game, I don’t know what to do… is there any way I can get my save back?”
They never expected that their post would reach the eyes of Sean Murray, the lead developer of No Man’s Sky, but to their surprise, it did.
Murray responded to the Reddit post saying, “Hey, that is awful. It sounds like we have an issue to sort. I can help get you back to where you were, it may take some time. Send me your save data via DMs, we can fix it.”
After contacting the developer through private messages, Murray fixed the player’s save file, which means their hard work, dedication, and 611 hours were all saved.
Murray told PC Gamer that he was determined to help out the player and had even mentioned to the development team that this issue required special attention.
“We always strive to keep our players’ save files safe,” Murray told PC Gamer. “This particular save file was particularly frustrating as it had many hours invested in it. When a player has put that much into our game it deserves the engineering fix. The more hours they play, the more likely they are to make big discoveries.”
The player was obviously overjoyed to get their save file back and took to Reddit to share the good news.
“I am amazed by how well the developer and staff at Hello Games care for their players and respond to their concerns,” the user said. “What an amazing game community. You saved hundreds of hours worth of work, I was completely devastated when I saw it was gone but thanks to you, and the dedication of the staff at Hello Games, all is restored!”
It’s not often that developers directly intervene with a player’s save file. However, Hello Games proves that their community means the world to them and their work goes beyond simply providing entertainment. The developer puts player happiness at the heart of their game and takes the time to care for the individuals who have given so much of their time and love into their creation.
Murray concluded with, “It feels good to get these saves back, but it’s always frustrating when there’s an issue! I love the fact that we can now pull this information from our save systems. It feels like the world is changing!”
