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.
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.
| Task | Description | How to complete |
|---|---|---|
| Fragmented | Investigate the crashed ship | Follow the on-screen marker to your starship and finish the initiation stages. |
| To Live | Echo three soul fragments | Find the three Soul Fragment blueprints, then craft and install all of them. |
| To Be Haunted | Seek aid from the other side | Return to your ship and offer the crafted fragments to the pilot. |
| Forged Signature | Manifest the Traveller Echo's Signature | Craft the Pilot Signature using the recipe you receive at step three. |
| Contact | Reclaim your starship | Repair two ship components with the required materials. A strange message arrives after. |
| A Shadow Above | Investigate the object in the sky | Fly to the Hive of Glass. It vanishes and smaller Swarmer ships ambush you. Destroy them all. |
| Stratagem | Consult Specialist Polo | Summon the Anomaly in space, speak with Polo, submit the Corrupted Ichors, and ask about Fragmentation. |
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.
| Task | Description | How to complete |
|---|---|---|
| Crash Site | Investigate the crashed Swarmer | Head to space, open the Galaxy Map, and follow the guided route. Requires the Cadmium Drive and warp fuel. |
| Disassembly | Disassemble swarm remnants | Interact with the crashed Swarmer, remove its parts using the Gravitino Coil, then choose one of two available options. |
| Divine Intelligence | Seek the Atlas | Follow the Galaxy Map path. Destroy two freighter cargo loads to help a captain, then reach Popoli Read to present Corrupted Ichors to the Atlas. |
| Emperor of Glass | Confront the Hive of Glass | Attack the Hive and target its core. It will trap you inside the World of Glass. |
| Devoured | Escape the World of Glass | This resolves as part of the expedition's story flow. No special action needed. |
| Headquarters | Report back to Polo | Summon your ship, fly to space, and describe your experience to Polo. Use his Prismatic Core to track Swarm activity and close out Phase 2. |
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.
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.
