Stellaris 4.5.3 (4e91) limits 4 district specializations to one of each per planet and addresses several multiplayer desync issues. Published on November 4, the hotfix notes also detail changes for Tankbound, Gestalt and cybernetic empires.
The team says the hotfix should be available on Steam, GOG and Microsoft Store, according to the official patch notes.
District specializations get a per-planet limit
Betharian Processing, Exotic Gas Capture, Rare Crystal Extraction and Volatile Motes Harvesting are each limited to one per planet. The restriction applies separately to each specialization: a planet cannot have multiple copies of the same one, but the limit is not shared across the 4.
That changes the options available when developing a colony that previously relied on more than one copy of the same specialization.
Changes for Tankbound, Gestalt and cybernetic empires
Tankbound empires now start with an additional Generator District instead of converting Agriculture or Mining Districts into Generator Districts. The change preserves the districts that would previously have been converted while still adding a Generator District to the starting setup.
For Gestalt empires, Virtual Bliss Plaza and Omni-Bliss Nexus now automate Logistic Drone jobs. Cybernetic empires can choose Volcanic Climate Mods, a fourth Climate Mods trait that adapts a species to volcanic worlds.
The hotfix also addresses a 125% habitability display cap affecting species capable of reaching 175% or 250%. The change described in the notes concerns the displayed value.
Modifying a species or assimilating a subspecies no longer resets the Auto-Modding progress of the affected pops, according to the notes. Pops that have already made progress should retain it when either operation takes place.
Multiplayer desync fixes
Desync checks now compare every colony, fleet, ship and empire. The team’s stated goal is to detect discrepancies earlier and closer to their cause, giving multiplayer checks a more detailed view of the game state.
The hotfix also targets desyncs associated with a player joining a game already in progress and with an AI-controlled empire hiring a mercenary fleet. The notes identify those scenarios as fixed, though their effectiveness across multiplayer games has not been independently verified.
See also our Stellaris game page and our article on Stellaris Willpower: Galactic Halls on November 23.
