No Man's Sky players get a big Mass Effect Easter Egg, but it won't be around forever

No Man's Sky players are getting quite the surprise today, as developer Hello Games has announced a big crossover with another famous space game: Mass Effect. The Normandy SR1, which first appeared in the original Mass Effect, has made its way to No Man's Sky for a special crossover promotion. Even better is the fact that No Man's Sky players can add the Normandy to their fleet of frigates, but only for a limited time.

The Normandy SR1 is actually a prize waiting for players who complete No Man's Sky's Beachhead expedition, which launched last week. This has definitely been a community effort and Hello Games expressed as much in a blog post today, thanking those who undertook the task of solving the expedition before talking about the crossover.

"We are thrilled and flattered that BioWare and EA let us pay tribute in this way," Hello Games said. "As huge fans of the series, it's a lovely moment for sci-fi fans. Like everyone else we've been rediscovering the amazing universe of Mass Effect through the release of the Legendary Edition. I still have chills every time I see this incredibly iconic ship warping in, and was delighted to see so many people have the same reaction."

If you want to add the Normandy SR1 to your fleet of frigates, you still have plenty of time to do that, but the opportunity isn't going to last forever. No Man's Sky players have until May 31st to complete the Beachhead expedition, at which they'll be awarded the Normandy. Once you have it, the Normandy is yours to keep forever, so while the expedition to unlock it is a limited time affair, the Normandy will be a permanent addition to your frigate collection.

You can see the Normandy SR1 in No Man's Sky in the trailer embedded above. It's certainly impressive, so gamers who count themselves as fans of both No Man's Sky and Mass Effect should partake in the expedition before the end date to claim it.