French developer and publisher Don’t Nod unveiled a brand new trailer for its upcoming sci-fi action-adventure Aphelion during today’s ID@Xbox Showcase, revealing new gameplay, a second playable character, and the debut of the game’s mysterious alien antagonist. Launching in 2026, Aphelion invites players to explore the edge of the solar system in a cinematic, emotionally charged survival story.
Two Astronauts, Two Perspectives
The latest trailer introduces Thomas Cross, a fellow ESA astronaut and now confirmed as a second playable protagonist alongside Ariane Montclair. The pair’s contrasting playstyles form the emotional and mechanical backbone of the game.
Ariane’s gameplay emphasizes physical exploration, traversing treacherous cliffs, harsh storms, and alien ruins, while Thomas, injured in the crash, approaches survival through investigation, deduction, and communication. Together, their stories intertwine as they search for each other following the crash of their ship, Hope-01, on the mysterious planet Persephone.
As the two explore the planet’s haunting environments, they uncover the truth behind their mission, the nature of Persephone, and a growing sense of dread that challenges the limits of their courage and humanity.
Meet “The Nemesis” – A New Kind of Threat
For the first time, players got a glimpse of The Nemesis, an intelligent lifeform born from Persephone’s oceans that hunts both astronauts. The Nemesis represents the planet’s malevolent sentience, a terrifying, shape-shifting predator that forces players to rely on stealth, patience, and observation to survive.
Don’t Nod describes these encounters as “psychological pressure cookers,” blending cinematic tension with stealth-driven gameplay that echoes the studio’s trademark narrative focus and emotional storytelling.
A Partnership with the European Space Agency
In a nod to real-world space exploration, Don’t Nod collaborated with the European Space Agency (ESA) to design the Hope-01 mission patch, which appears on the astronauts’ suits. Designed by Art Director Arnaud Barbier in collaboration with ESA, the patch symbolizes the game’s central themes: hope, courage, and humanity’s drive to explore beyond the unknown.
Coming in 2026
Aphelion launches in 2026 for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, and will be available day one with Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere.
