[Update]: Fourteen years later, Sins of a Solar Empire is now getting an ambitious new sequel!

Seemingly out of nowhere, Stardock has released a brand new DLC for their space-based RTS/4X hybrid Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion.

The Outlaw Sectors DLC brings with it a whole bunch of new maps, 11 of them in total, as well as a variety of changes to increase the volatility of sectors. Pirates have been emboldened and will now strike out against multiple players at once. Autonomous planetary militias will grown, raid nearby systems, and eventually repopulate themselves in order to force the players into action, and finally, you can now designate a planet as a smuggling hub that brings with it numerous advantages, but also a large dosage of corruption.

You can grab the Outlaw Sectors DLC for $5/€5 from either Steam, or the Stardock store. Finally, here are the main bullet-points, straight from the Steam page to hopefully give you an idea of what you're getting into:

The lawless fringe is increasingly hostile, but for those with a criminal mind it's also rich with new opportunities.

• Smuggling Specialization: Choose this planetary development to grab a cut of everyone's trade income - but at a cost. The increased corruption from this black market activity will reduce that planet's tax income.

• Rampant Militias: Autonomous planetary militias will grow, raid nearby systems, and repopulate over time. Use them to help defend your worlds, or coordinate your attacks with their strikes for maximum impact.

• Pirate Turf: Vicious when in their home sector, pirates can now raid multiple players simultaneously, drastically changing the art of the bidding war. And, just to make sure they are fully motivated to do what they do best, all credits spent on bounties will receive an automatic bonus.