What happens if you decline the free freighter offer in No Man‘s Sky?
If you decline the first free freighter offered to you after a space battle rescue, you will continue to be presented with additional free freighters after subsequent battles until you accept one. So declining the initial offer does not mean you missed your chance forever.
Should I accept the first free freighter?
It is generally recommended to decline the first free freighter provided. Why? Because the next free freighter offered will always be an equal or better class.
Many experienced players recommend battling pirates and rescuing freighters across multiple star systems before accepting a free one. This allows you to hold out for an awesome high-class freighter, especially the ultra rare S-Class, for free.
However, it does mean you need to grind space battles and continue declining lesser offers until you get one you want.
What are the chances of getting an S-Class freighter for free?
The spawn chances for freighter classes are:
| Freighter Class | Spawn Chance |
|---|---|
| C-Class | 50% |
| B-Class | 35% |
| A-Class | 15% |
| S-Class | 5% |
As you can see, S-Class has just a 5% chance to appear. So it can understandably take many rescues and declines before you land that top tier freebie.
But when an S-Class can cost you over 100 million units otherwise, it is incredibly worthwhile. One player on Reddit took 112 rescue battles to finally score their free S-Class!
Tips for scoring an awesome free freighter
Here are some pro tips to maximize your chances:
- Play in a rich economy system – Wealthy systems have a higher rate of better freighter spawns
- Rescue across multiple systems – Each system draw is independent, so warp around
- Decline trivial colors/designs immediately – If it ain‘t your style, don‘t bother scanning
- Record battle numbers and freighter class offers – Helps you monitor your luck
It‘s advisable to be picky with declines rather than wasting time scanning every single mediocre freighter. Hold out for that perfect S-Class in your favorite style!
What happens if I do accept the first free freighter?
You won‘t get any more free freighter offers. From then on, any additional freighters will need to be purchased with units.
So while it‘s tempting to take the quick first offer to get into freighter gameplay faster, most players do not recommend it. You are passing up an epic opportunity for a long term awesome S-Class freighter.
However, if you just want to enjoy basic freighter features and are not concerned with optimization, accepting the first free freighter is reasonable. Plenty of fun to be had without an S-Class!
Is grinding freighter rescues worth it?
Getting that god roll S-Class for free takes some dedication with pulsing around systems battling pirates.
But when you consider an S-Class Venator can cost 178 million units to purchase outright, scoring one for free is an incredible money saver. Especially early game when units are harder to come by.
Here what one happy Traveler had to say after a major grind:
"112 tries, but I finally got my S Class Venator for free today. I‘m beyond ecstatic!"
So while it takes some patience and effort, the payoff is big. You‘ll enjoy your ideal freighter forever rather than some random first free offer.
Safe travels, Interlopers. May the RNG gods smile upon you as you hunt the ultimate free freighter!
