Expedition 22, known as Swarm, is the latest limited-time campaign in No Man's Sky and it leans hard into combat. Compared to previous expeditions, Swarm is shorter but noticeably more demanding, throwing Swarmer ships, a mysterious Hive of Glass, and faction-based team assignments at you from the start. This guide covers how to kick things off and walks through every task in Phases 1 and 2.
How do you start Expedition 22 Swarm?
You need to clear the tutorial before anything else. Once that's done, the Anomaly is your first destination.
- Fly to the Anomaly and dock your ship.
- Head to the Terminal Nexus near the entrance.
- Move any items you want to bring into your expedition inventory.
- Launch the expedition and let it finish loading.
After loading in, a short quiz determines which of the three new Swarm factions you join. The answers carry no mechanical penalty, so just pick whatever feels right. The quiz assigned the Weaver team in testing, but your result may differ.
Transfer any materials you want to keep before launching. Once the expedition begins, your standard save is separate from your expedition progress.
Expedition launch at the Nexus
Phase 1 tasks: what do you need to do?
Phase 1 sets the story in motion. You wake up near a crashed ship, piece together what happened, and make first contact with the Swarm. Every task has an on-screen quest marker, so navigation is straightforward.
Swarmer ambush near Hive of Glass
The A Shadow Above task is the first real combat test. The Swarmer ships are small and fast, so keep your ship moving and pick them off one at a time rather than trying to fight the whole group at once.
Phase 2 tasks: what comes after Polo?
Phase 2 opens immediately after your Phase 1 conversation with Polo ends. The tasks push deeper into the Swarm's origin and culminate in a direct confrontation with the Hive of Glass itself.
The Disassembly task is worth paying attention to. If you haven't used the Gravitino Coil much yet, this is a good time to get comfortable with it. For a deeper look at how the tool works across other content, the Gravitino Coil mechanics and Colossus build guide covers everything you need.
The Divine Intelligence task has the most moving parts in Phase 2. The freighter cargo destruction is a brief detour, but don't skip the Galaxy Map guidance or you'll lose the route to Popoli Read.
What rewards does Swarm offer?
The Swarm expedition ties directly into the update's new content. For a full breakdown of what the update added beyond the expedition itself, including new enemies, faction mechanics, and space combat changes, check the No Man's Sky Swarm update patch notes.
Phases 3 and 4 are part of the full expedition but were still rolling out at launch. Keep an eye on the quest log for new tasks as they unlock.
Swarm is a tighter expedition than most, but the combat focus makes it feel distinct. The Hive of Glass storyline has more going on than a typical fetch-and-craft chain, and the faction assignment adds a layer of replayability if you want to see the other quiz outcomes. For more walkthroughs and system guides, browse the full No Man's Sky strategy guide collection.