55 articlesOne of the new additions to the No Man’s Sky Outlaws update is squads. With this, players are given the ability to have their own squad by recruiting pilots.
That means that instead of flying solo and waiting for random NPC help, you can finally recruit up to four pilots who’ll warp in during combat or fly in formation around you.
They’re basically your own AI backup, and you summon them via the quick menu while out in space. Their main job is to draw fire and support you in dogfights against pirates, Sentinels, or other threats.
Here’s how you can get your own.
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First and foremost, you must own a Freighter or large capital ship before you can even think about a squad. This isn’t some optional thing you trigger from your Exosuit or Starship UI.
Just keep in mind that without a Freighter, you won’t be able to form as squad as the squad management mechanic simply won’t be available.
Once you’ve boarded your Freighter, head to the fleet management console on the bridge. There’s a new option called Manage Squadron where you’ll see up to four locked pilot slots.
Each slot costs Nanites to unlock as you go down the list.
The first slot will cost 800 Nanites, the second slot 3,500 Nanites, the third slot 7,500 Nanites, and the fourth slot 10,000 Nanites.
You don’t need to unlock all at once, but you do need at least one unlocked before you can recruit your first pilot.
Here’s where it gets fun and slightly chaotic.
NPC pilots with spaceships show up in various places. It could be in regular Space Stations, trading outposts, or even landing pads out in the wild. Whenever one lands, simply approach them and check the interaction menu.
What you’re looking for is “Recruit lifeform to Squadron”. This is the option that will add an NPC into your crew. Speak to as many pilots as it takes to fill your unlocked slots.
That said, make sure to check their ship class and stats before clicking recruit. Better ships and pilots simply make for better aerial backups.
You can also recruit pilots from space stations and similar locations, but outlaw space stations often don’t present the recruit option.
Flying to a regular station or trading post would be the most reliable option.
How to Summon and Use Your Squadron
With pilots in your roster, you can now call them in during normal gameplay.
You can find a Summon Squadron option in your quick menu. Hit that while flying and your squad will warp in and fly alongside you.
They’ll even join combat automatically each time hostiles show up. Outside of combat, they’ll just trail you until you dismiss them.
It’s worth noting that when recruiting NPCs, the quality of the pilot matters. Some players like to trade a desirable ship to an NPC and then recruit them so their squad flies something cool.
Stats and ship class can vary as well, so make sure to check before recruiting.
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