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The subject of this article is from the Origins update.
The information from this article is up-to-date as of 9 November, 2020. |
The information from this article is up-to-date as of 9 November, 2020.
Extinction is the termination of a species.
Summary[ | ]
Extinction is the termination of a previously existing species. While extinction can happen to any species of flora or fauna, it is of primary interest in No Man's Sky when it happens to creatures.
Extinction normally happens after a major update which resets the universe, but can sometimes happen on a smaller scale to select species after smaller updates. For example, the Origins update totally reset the creatures part of the game, causing mass extinction for all creatures currently in existence.
Please note these terms are not considered true game mechanics. Instead, they are scientific terms being used here as a way of conceptualizing creature-related bugs sometimes encountered in the No Man's Sky universe which closely parallel their real-life equivalents.
Extinct[ | ]
A creature is only considered extinct after its planet has been fully resurveyed, or at the very least, all possible terrain slots the target creature might be found under have been discovered.
This creature is extinct.
Possibly Extinct[ | ]
When significant effort has been put into relocating a previously discovered species, but there is still a chance it might be rediscovered, it is considered possibly extinct.
If a possibly extinct creature is rediscovered, it is not considered a Lazarus creature. Instead simply remove its possibly extinct status. However, if it instead becomes certain a creature no longer exists, upgrade its status to extinct.
This creature has not been seen since Living Ship. Subsequent survey missions to its world have been unable to locate it.
Lazarus Species[ | ]
A lazarus species is one which was considered to be fully extinct, but later reappeared on the same world as a living species. This phenomenon is presumed to be caused by glitches from multiple game updates, with the first glitch causing the creature to disappear and a subsequent one causing its reappearance. No matter if a species truly disappeared and reappeared, or only seemingly disappeared for a time but simply remained undiscovered, it is still considered a Lazarus species. Due to the nature of this phenomenon, all Lazarus species could be considered a subset of glitched creatures. 
When a Lazarus species reemerges, it must be rescanned to be identified. They can range from having completely identical traits, including their original scientific name, to being subtly different with a new scientific name. Subtle differences include having a different head ornamentation, slightly different coloration, or a different preference of bait. Despite these potential subtle differences, the majority of their traits and description must be identical in order to truly be considered a Lazarus species. In cases where a Lazarus species returns with a different scientific name, they could also be considered a Divergent Species.
In rare circumstances, after a major update if a new planet gets added to an existing system, a species may go extinct on one planet and simultaneously reappear on the new planet. This phenomenon is believed to be caused by the planets being reordered in the system. In effect, the creature is still on its original world, only the position of its world was changed relative to the other planets in the system.
This creature was previously extinct, but reappeared at a later date.
Gallery[ | ]
Caesarus, the largest fauna species on record, was confirmed extinct by multiple Galactic Hub surveys.
Stariumica Gasea, an extinct species from Cyanotopia.
The Scrubland Drekiorn from Sandr-Mani is possibly extinct.
J. Bloatalcatii, a Lazarus species from Xico XIX which kept its original scientific name after being later rediscovered on the same world.
F. Ephemonokhis, a Lazarus species from Agjyot which was rediscovered on the same world under a new scientific name.
The Greater Bellossom, a Lazarus species which, after a major update, disappeared from Cyanotopia only to reappear on a new world in the same system Banna-Ey.
