Stellaris: Shadows of the Shroud, released in 2025, is a grand strategy expansion focusing on deep empire management and exploration. The core loop involves guiding your civilization through complex interstellar politics and warfare, now heavily featuring overhauled Psionic Ascension mechanics. Distinctive features include new moral dilemmas and patron allegiances tied to exploring the dangerous psionic plane, offering significant, high-risk power gains that shape your empire's narrative path.