X4: Foundations — X4: Foundations 9.00 "Empire Update" is Out Now!

We're very excited to announce that the X4: Foundations "Empire Update" (9.00) has officially launched! This free major update includes new features and sweeping reworks that improve how you interact with your empire: militarily, strategically, and economically.

We'd like to extend our sincere thanks to the community for your invaluable feedback during the 9.00 Public Beta, which has helped us to make even more improvements over the past several weeks. In particular, your feedback has been immensely helpful in fine-tuning our updates to the AI.

Below is an overview of the Empire Update's features. For a deeper dive into what's in store, be sure to take a look at the 9.00 Public Beta announcement.

For a quick rundown of the biggest changes, watch our 9.00 Public Beta Announcement video from March 2026:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDddUWlEe1c

What's New In The 9.00 Update

Combat Improvements

We've made sweeping changes to every aspect of combat in X4: Foundations. This is the largest combat balancing update in X4's history. This update includes a full rebalancing of hundreds of weapons, turrets, shields, and ships to add tactical depth, make more options viable, and address inconsistencies. Additionally, turrets are more accurate, AI pilots behave more organically, capital ship movement has been reworked, and much more.

For more information about our extensive changes to weapon and ship balance, you can take a look at the thread in our Beta Feedback forum.

Kha'ak Recycling

S and M Kha'ak wrecks can now be recycled, leading to the production of Allographyne, a versatile new ware usable in ship and equipment production. Allographyne transmutes to replace any ware in the production process, providing an alternative means to address supply shortages.

Since Allographyne production requires Nividium, this opens new trade opportunities across the gate network. Some NPC factions will also construct specialised recycling stations to utilise this resource.

To hear more about Kha'ak Recycling and other changes to the economy, you can visit the thread in our Beta Feedback forum.

Ship Visual / Modularity Changes

Engines and shields are now integrated into S and M ship models. This change improves their appearance and significantly increases the variety of modules they can equip. This change leads to more deliberate, consistent visual identities for ships throughout the gate network.

Additionally, S and M ship hardpoint locations have received a facelift, allowing a greater variety in loadout options. For example, Boron and Commonwealth ships can equip each other's modules, and they can now equip smaller weapons and turrets.

Priority Orders

By popular demand, this update introduces Priority Orders. This new UI functionality allows instantly responsive "RTS"-style orders to be issued, immediately overriding all other orders. This dramatically improves the flow of fast-paced strategic situations, eliminating the need to configure order lists and making ships act immediately.

Orders can be issued and queued from the map using + [Right Click], while Priority Orders can be sent with + [Right Click] and queued using + + [Right Click].

These modifiers can be used in any combination to queue and priority-queue orders in the Order Menu. Need a trader to pick up a nearby lockbox and for its escorts to attack a target near it? Priority Orders allow you to issue those commands swiftly and without disrupting your existing order queues.

Ship Showroom Module

We've added a new module with the 9.00 update: the Ship Showroom. This module allows players to store and display their favourite S and M ships on stylish landing pads.

One or more Ship Showrooms can be attached to existing player-owned stations, or even combined into a showroom complex to display a more extensive collection - try finding one of each ship!

UI Changes

Adjustments to the UI's visual style have touched all areas of the game, and we've paid special attention to improving the map screen menus. These adjustments to the map screen's layout and style aim to improve readability while preserving the overall information structure.

For more information about the UI changes we've made, you can read the Beta Feedback forum.

Better NPC Station Designs

In previous updates, we enabled NPC factions to construct larger stations. Following those changes, the 9.00 update gives NPC factions the ability to utilise and expand upon predefined construction plans. Stations based on these designs will be more visually coherent and elaborate, and they allow our designers to populate the gate network with stations that more strongly reflect faction identities.

Mining Region Overhaul

We've completely overhauled how resource areas are managed, achieving several goals at once: better performance and memory usage, more developer control over resource distribution, and more dynamic resourcing gameplay for players. Resources are now localised rather than spread across the entire region. Additionally, when a resource area is depleted, new resources may emerge at a different location within the region.

This creates a new dynamic around mining operations, in which resource areas must be discovered before they can be exploited, leading to fluctuating resource availability as miners automatically seek efficient mining locations.

We have also removed the influence of resource probes on mining efficiency. Resource probes now indicate to miners where to focus their efforts, enabling players to optimise their refining and defensive setups without feeling pressured to micromanage resource probes.

For a closer look at the new resource system, visit the thread in our Beta Feedback forum.

Thank you from all of us at Egosoft for playing X4: Foundations, and we hope you enjoy what we've done with the 9.00 update!

The Empire Update might be out of beta, but as you know, we never stop working on the game - so please keep sharing your feedback with us, and we'll keep listening.

X4 9.00 Changelog:

• New Feature: Priority Order system.

• New Feature: Travel Drive Stability system.

• New Feature: Major rebalancing of weapons and missiles.

• New Feature: Dedicated missile launcher slots on some S/M ships.

• New Feature: Most equipment now interchangeable between S/M ships of all commonwealth races.

• New Feature: Resource distribution overhaul for improved prospecting and mining.

• New Feature: Kha'ak wreck processing, providing new transmutable resource called Allographyne.

• New Feature: Ship Showroom station module to show off your prized possessions.

• New Feature: Refreshed UI visuals.

• Added heat generation and shield modifiers to certain ship hulls.

• Added limited blueprints for certain unique ships to allow them to be rebuilt if lost.

• Added Prospect behaviour.

• Added option to hand over fleets and stations to Mission Briefing for relevant missions.

• Added Interact menu option to repeat last order.

• Added Resource Probe coverage setting in Map menu.

• Added scrap-related icons to Map legend.

• Added station plot management to Station Build menu.

• Added equipment details to Station Build menu.

• Added option to edit loadouts with equipment issues in Lost Ship Replacement.

• Added links to entries and production module info from ware pages in Encyclopedia.

• Added controller shoulder button support to Crafting menu.

• Added overview of items in Safe Deposit Storage to Player Inventory menu.

• Added ship stance descriptions to Ship Interactions menu.

• Added equipment details to Ship Build and Upgrade menus.

• Added Boost Acceleration Multiplier to Encyclopedia engine entries.

• Added option to set camera to not rotate with object in external view.

• Added target elements for torpedoes.

• Added ammo clip reload information to weapon HUD.

• Added Comm and Info keyboard shortcuts for surface elements.

• Added alternative way to earn What is Best in Life achievement through Diplomatic Interference.

• Added sound effect for highlighting options in dropdowns.

• Added optional alternative WASD-style profile for keyboard and mouse.

• Added input hint bar.

• Added support for AMD FSR frame generation.

• Added native Wayland support for Linux.

• Changed FPS display position to upper left corner.

• Removed ability for Torus to block panels during final Torus puzzle in Torus Aeternal mission of Project Genesis story.

• Removed upkeep missions requesting player to deploy resource probes for mining operations.

• Removed effect of resource probes on mining efficiency.

• Removed ability to pick up incompatible missiles.

• Removed production details for Xenon ships, station modules and military/equipment pages from Encyclopedia.

• Removed some overgrown plants in faction representative offices.

• Improved balancing of several Timelines scenarios by lowering requirements to achieve certain ranks.

• Improved payout calculation of Fleet Delivery missions to more accurately reflect fleet's current value.

• Improved mission offer selection on stations to better match station type.

• Improved clarity of objective text in station building missions.

• Improved theft detection for Erlking.

• Improved weapon and turret aim prediction.

• Improved accuracy of Boson Lance, Mass Driver and similar weapons.

• Improved accuracy of beam turrets when defending against missiles.

• Improved capital ship movement and alignment with non-station attack targets.

• Improved capital ship combat movement against stations.

• Improved capital ship avoidance of station turret range.

• Improved efficiency of S/M fighter attack runs against capital ship targets.

• Improved phased docking of fighter wings subordinate on carriers.

• Improved distribution of fleet members when attacking multiple targets.

• Improved fleeing ships to only consider launching laser towers if object they're fleeing from is already hostile.

• Improved behaviour of fighters attacking big targets with slow-firing weapons.

• Improved behaviour of fighters disabling capital ships.

• Improved target selection of capital ships to prioritise larger threats.

• Improved combat behaviour of missile-armed fighters.

• Improved combat subordinates armed with missiles going for supplies when they cannot attack due to being out of ammunition.

• Improved response to police search so that only pirate-owned ships consider fleeing or attacking if about to be caught with illegal goods.

• Improved police response to attacks against object being scanned to only defend scanned object if attacker is already hostile.

• Improved Explore order for multiple ships exploring same sector.

• Improved ship behaviour to avoid destroying capital ships they are attempting to disable.

• Improved Attack capital ships first, Attack fighters first, and Shoot missiles first turret modes.

• Improved combat behaviour of fighters armed with slow-firing weapons

• Improved fighter missile usage.

• Improved fighter usage of torpedoes in combat.

• Improved ammunition consumption of missile-armed fighters when player not present.

• Improved missile usage by avoiding firing more missiles than necessary to kill target.

• Improved combat behaviour of missile-armed ships to reduce collisions with targets.

• Improved combat behaviour of fighters disabling large targets.

• Improved guided missile accuracy.

• Improved ships getting stuck while approaching dock on Raptor.

• Improved mining ship behaviour to not go to resource areas that will be empty before they arrive.

• Improved distribution of mining ships across resource areas.

• Improved Deploy at Position options to take into account deployables used by other orders.

• Improved tug behaviour if scrap gets destroyed while tug is on way to collect it.

• Improved ware transfer if one involved ship is already docked at other.

• Improved balancing of number of crew bailing out of destroyed player-owned ships.

• Improved player fleet commanders to request fleet replacements sooner and more reliably.

• Improved station defence drone usage.

• Improved Xenon fleet composition.

• Improved usefulness of auxiliary ships by increasing cargo capacity.

• Improved Kha'ak station structure for better destruction gameplay.

• Improved lighting and door aperture in transporter room.

• Improved Fast Travel menu by highlighting mission targets.

• Improved map by reducing frequency of resizes due to ships moving near outer edge of sector.

• Improved resource visualisation on Map.

• Improved mouse-over texts for Automatic Buy/Sell amounts in Logical Station Overview menu.

• Improved visual appearance and layout of transaction log.

• Improved Encyclopedia search by auto-selecting first result.

• Improved Encyclopedia navigation with links in detail panel.

• Improved mouse camera panning controls in Station Editor.

• Improved module placement when grabbing with mouse in Station Editor.

• Improved capital ship and surface element selection in HUD.

• Improved controller support in Plot Management menu.

• Improved gate event horizon effect.

• Improved engine glow by reducing intensity.

• Improved boost effect.

• Improved Travel Drive exhaust effect.

• Improved identifiability of engine exhaust colour.

• Improved ship thruster effects to match engine colour.

• Improved some weapon effects for better visual consistency and to fit smaller weapon sizes.

• Improved visual consistency of weapon effects.

• Improved Paranid Mass Driver effects.

• Improved Xenon M beam effects.

• Improved Khaak Beam effects.

• Improved Astrid beam turrets to be less blinding.

• Improved explosion for Kha'ak installations.

• Improved long range scan effect to indicate type of resource detected.

• Improved clarity of background stars.

• Improved soundscape on dock areas by making mass traffic enter and exit silently.

• Improved auto-targeting in gamepad mode to react more quickly.

• Improved gamepad mode to attempt to select objects under crosshair before considering objects around it.

• Improved Display Mode handling on Linux.

• Improved support for wider range of Linux configurations with newer SDL version.

• Fixed custom gamestart ship crew options not taking effect under certain circumstances.

• Fixed Dal not pointing out agents for hire if diplomacy initiated through budgeted custom game start.

• Fixed Covert Operations story not starting if Yaki story and HQ both set to completed in Custom Game Editor.

• Fixed story missions sometimes not being offered when choosing Stranded game start.

• Fixed objective in Lord Prospector's Foray Timelines scenario being overwritten when player-owned ships are destroyed.

• Fixed player's wing-mate in Terran Cadet gamestart speaking on entry into Venus sector despite not accompanying player.

• Fixed missing guidance in Collect: Holy Order Cipher objective in A Small Errand mission of Paranid Schism story.

• Fixed station construction mission description sometimes incorrectly being written from Terran Protectorate perspective.

• Fixed mission objective not progressing after destruction of Ravenous Wight during Fires of Fate mission of Split story.

• Fixed guidance to ship console on carrier dock in The High Road mission sometimes not working correctly.

• Fixed incorrect mission guidance during Tomb of Patriarchs mission of Split story.

• Fixed Diplomatic Outpost getting stuck if station is destroyed before completion of Teladi Space mission of Queen's Herald story.

• Fixed story not progressing if Teladi ship is destroyed by someone other than player in Tangling with the Teladi mission of Pirate Crew story.

• Fixed Yaki Pirate Base in Yaki Investigation story respawning without Wharf module when destroyed.

• Fixed Yaki Pirate Base in Yaki Investigation story potentially being destroyed before player able to decide whether to attack.

• Fixed Diplomatic Outpost mission ignoring player station for transfer if station was over 200km from sector centre in Boron Story.

• Fixed Wartime Economics mission in Solborn story asking player to destroy their own ships.

• Fixed Menelaus' Reminescence in The High Road mission not launching drones even though dialog promised it.

• Fixed faction cover issues with Geometric Owl during Terran Pests mission of Project Genesis story.

• Fixed travel mode not aborting in Torus Aeternal mission of Project Genesis story.

• Fixed Boron ships in The High Road mission not docking at Menelaus' Reminiscence when it moves through hazard.

• Fixed enemies in final battle in The High Road mission wandering far away from fight.

• Fixed The High Road mission not progressing beyond initial escort section under certain circumstances.

• Fixed mission guidance not progressing during By Invitation Only mission in Hatikvah's Trade Revolution story.

• Fixed missing Reen Omara during Join Hatikvah's Trade Revolution mission in Hatikvah's Trade Revolution story.

• Fixed Menelaus' Reminiscence leaving sector and ending battle prematurely during The High Road mission.

• Fixed Foundations of an Empire mission in Paranid Schism story showing timer at zero during defence of Sacrosanct Conclave.

• Fixed Foundations of an Empire mission in Paranid Schism story not progressing after station construction is complete.

• Fixed Supply Station mission auto-completing under certain circumstances.

• Fixed Mad Artist and Mad Producer not spawning under certain circumstances.

• Fixed Destroy on Sight missions sometimes aborting immediately after accepting them.

• Fixed rendezvous ship preventing player docking because of hostile relationship at End of Terrorism mission of Split story.

• Fixed Diplomatic Outpost in Teladi space mission returning to buying plot objective in Queen's Herald missions of Boron story.

• Fixed Envoy stuck on ring highway in Escort to Safe Haven mission of Envoy story.

• Fixed VIG scrap yard fence not relocating when scrap yard is moved.

• Fixed delivered ships in guild missions sometimes not being recognised as fully equipped.

• Fixed station building missions getting stuck on production module objectives.

• Fixed patrol mission sometimes not showing mission objective timer in Message Ticker.

• Fixed subscription missions sometimes aborting on activation.

• Fixed player Headquarters spawning second time under certain circumstances.

• Fixed missing Yaki Honourable Dragon licence in some older savegames.

• Fixed diplomacy actions to gain information on stations and ships having shorter duration with skilled agents.

• Fixed Explorer achievement not unlocking in some cases when not all of sectors were discovered by player themselves.

• Fixed incorrect licence requirement for TEL Phoenix Main Battery.

• Fixed Envoy ships sometimes being constructed without engines.

• Fixed XEN default loadouts being available at NPC Shipyards.

• Fixed capital ships sometimes jumping into sectors very far from entry gate.