Star Atlas is a space strategy and MMO project from the studio ATMTA. Its core economic systems run on the Solana blockchain. As of October 2026 there are three ways to play. The browser strategy game is now just called SAGE. Holosim is a free version of SAGE in the browser. The Unreal Engine 5 client is in early access. The full top-down mode, Fleet Command, is still listed as "Coming soon." The main development story of 2026 is the move to z.ink, ATMTA's own blockchain. The next version of the game, C4, has been in public testing on the z.ink testnet since late May 2026. As of the latest reporting in September 2026, z.ink had no announced mainnet date.
The latest: C4 and z.ink (as of September 2026)
Most of the current status below comes from CryptoGames (published 15 August 2026, updated 4 September 2026).
- C4 public test. According to CryptoGames, the C4 public test realm went live in late May 2026 during a town hall, after a closed beta. It runs on the z.ink testnet. Phase Two arrived in July 2026. It added Combat V2, the Nemesis Engine (on-chain NPCs, starting with the Jorvik pirate fleets), Cultivation Claims, a Democracy Module, zXP support and a goal system. When the article was updated, the Democracy Module was not yet open for testing.
- Scale of the crafting economy. CryptoGames reports that C4 has more than 100 mineable resources and about 5,600 recipe combinations.
- New naming. The team now calls the browser game just SAGE and has dropped the "SAGE Labs" and "SAGE Starbased" labels. "SAGE C4" is only the project name. The official homepage still uses the "SAGE Labs" name.
- AI guide. Star Atlas announced on X an AI assistant, also called SAGE, for the C4 playtest. CryptoGames reports that it first appeared in Holosim, where it helps new players create a character and choose a faction.
- z.ink mainnet. ATMTA plans to announce a mainnet date once its "Phase 3" is ready. A 30–45 day campaign would follow, covering C4, the z.ink genesis event, token listings and DeFi integrations. CEO Michael Wagner estimated that mainnet was two to three months away.
- Bridge security. CTO Jacob is quoted as saying bridges are among the industry's biggest security risks. The z.ink bridge was open for live testing but was not "production-hardened." The team was considering a bug bounty but was not positioned to pay for an external audit.
What z.ink is, and how its timeline has moved
ATMTA announced z.ink (written "Zink" in the launch release) on 13 August 2025. It describes it as a Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) Layer 1 blockchain. Its main feature is the zProfile, a zero-knowledge on-chain profile built on ATMTA's patent-pending "player profile" primitive. According to the company, players can set permissions across connected apps and approve frequent in-game actions automatically, without signing each one in a wallet. The ZINK token is meant to pay transaction fees and to be used for validator and user staking and for consensus.
The schedule has moved more than once:
| Date of plan | What was planned | Status |
|---|---|---|
| August 2025 release | Airdrop of 10% of ZINK supply; mainnet genesis in December 2025, when all Star Atlas game logic would move to z.ink | Mainnet did not launch in December 2025 |
| Later 2025 coverage | Genesis and token launch moved to around March 2026 | Not met, according to later reporting |
| CryptoGames, Aug–Sep 2026 | Public testnet, bridge and developer docs live; no mainnet date; estimate of two to three months | No mainnet date announced |
The August 2025 release lists ways to earn XP toward the airdrop: playing the UE5 game, SAGE and Holosim, locking ATLAS and POLIS in the Star Atlas DAO lockers, and trading on the Galactic Marketplace.
What you can play today
The official homepage and the developer docs list these modules:
- SAGE (formerly SAGE Labs). The homepage describes it as a browser economy game where players "mine resources, craft items, and scan for SDUs." The docs call it a browser-based 4X strategy game that "runs fully on-chain," with actions signed and settled on Solana.
- Holosim. The homepage describes it as a free-to-play browser simulation that does not need a crypto wallet. CryptoGames calls it the free version of SAGE Labs, at holosim.staratlas.com.
- The Unreal Engine 5 game. The docs call it "a high-fidelity Unreal Engine 5 experience" and a free-to-play multiplayer space game with optional NFT integration. It is distributed through the Epic Games Store, where the listing is marked early access. The homepage lists arena shooter battles, racing tracks and PvE dogfights in the open world of Galia, and offers early access keys.
- Fleet Command. A top-down strategic mode, shown on the homepage as "Coming soon."
- PLAY hub and DAO. According to the docs, the PLAY hub is where you manage ships, crew, guilds (called DACs) and NFTs. It includes the Galactic Marketplace and fleet rentals. The DAO module is where POLIS lockers vote on proposals and on how the treasury is spent.
The official store listing gives the setting as the year 2620. Three factions compete for resources, territory and political control. MUD is the human faction. ONI is a coalition of alien species. Ustur are sentient androids. The homepage's in-game clock currently reads 2625, so the story timeline has moved forward.
Which Star Atlas mode can you play now?
Answer up to two questions to see which part of Star Atlas fits you today, and what each one needs before you start.
Do you want to try Star Atlas without setting up a crypto wallet?
- Yes, no wallet for now → next question
- No, I am ready to use a Solana-compatible wallet → next question
Do you prefer a browser strategy game or a 3D action game?
- Browser strategy → Start with Holosim
- 3D action and dogfights → Try the Unreal Engine 5 early access
What do you want to do with the wallet?
- Play the live on-chain economy: mine, craft, trade on the Galactic Marketplace → Play SAGE on Solana
- Test the next version, C4, and its new systems → Follow the C4 public test, knowing it is a testnet
- Play the top-down strategic mode → Fleet Command is not playable yet
Holosim is the free version of SAGE in the browser, and the official homepage says it does not need a crypto wallet. CryptoGames reports that the AI guide, also called SAGE, first appeared in Holosim, where it helps new players create a character and choose a faction. You can judge the game this way before you spend anything.
The docs describe the UE5 client as a free-to-play multiplayer space game with optional NFT integration. It is distributed through the Epic Games Store, where the listing is marked early access. The homepage lists arena shooter battles, racing tracks and PvE dogfights in the open world of Galia.
SAGE is the browser strategy game where players mine resources, craft items and scan for SDUs, with actions signed and settled on Solana. You need a Solana-compatible wallet and some SOL for network fees. Start from staratlas.com, keep your seed phrase offline, read every wallet approval and decline unlimited token-spend requests from contracts you don't recognise.
C4 has been in public testing on the z.ink testnet since late May 2026, and Phase Two arrived in July 2026 with Combat V2, the Nemesis Engine and other systems. The team says the z.ink bridge was not production-hardened and had no funded external audit, and z.ink had no announced mainnet date as of September 2026. What you learn on the current version may not carry over unchanged.
The official homepage still lists Fleet Command, the top-down strategic mode, as "Coming soon." For now, the playable options are SAGE, the free Holosim and the UE5 early access.
This only matches you to a game mode from the article's October 2026 status. It does not cover ATLAS or POLIS token prices, NFT costs, or whether z.ink mainnet launched after September 2026, and it is not advice to buy anything.
ATLAS and POLIS: the two tokens
- ATLAS is the in-game currency. CoinGecko lists a total and maximum supply of 36 billion ATLAS, with about 25.9 billion circulating as of late October 2026.
- POLIS is the governance token. Its supply was set at 360 million at the 2021 token sale. The official docs say you "lock POLIS to gain voting power (PVP)." That voting power is used in the DAO.
The homepage's economy panel shows $68.3M in total volume traded, $21.1M in annual GDP and an average of 9.69M ATLAS earned per day. The page gives no date or calculation method for these figures.
How to start, safely
- Try it free first. Holosim needs no wallet, according to the official homepage. The UE5 client is free to play with optional NFTs, according to the docs. Either one lets you judge the game before you spend anything.
- Wallet for on-chain play. SAGE and the marketplace need a Solana-compatible wallet and some SOL for network fees. Keep your seed phrase offline and never type it into any website.
- Use official domains only. Start from staratlas.com, and confirm links to the Discord and X accounts from the official site. Read every wallet approval before you sign it, and decline unlimited token-spend requests from contracts you don't recognise.
- Expect changes. C4 is changing systems such as combat, crafting and NPCs. Things you learn on the current live version may not carry over unchanged.
Risks to weigh
- Delivery risk. z.ink mainnet has already missed its December 2025 and March 2026 targets. Fleet Command is still not available.
- Bridge and migration risk. The team itself says the z.ink bridge was not production-hardened and had no funded external audit, according to CryptoGames. Moving assets across bridges has historically been one of the riskiest steps in crypto.
- Token volatility. ATLAS is far below its all-time high of $0.2675 on CoinGecko. Its price depends on how many people play and on wider market conditions.
- Liquidity. Niche ship and crew NFTs may have few buyers.
- Phishing. Fake sites and direct messages offering "free" tokens or drops are a common way players lose assets.
