Paris, 15 June 2026 – DON'T NOD, an independent video game publisher and studio, is proud to unveil an exclusive video marking a major symbolic milestone in its collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA).

Marking the recent release of Aphelion, available since 28 April 2026 on PC (Steam), Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, the studio sent the game's official mission patch to French astronaut Sophie Adenot, who is currently serving aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

From orbit, Sophie Adenot delivered a very special video message to the DON'T NOD teams and the game's community, highlighting the shared values that connect science and video games: exploration, hope, and the ability of scientists, engineers, artists, and players to turn imagination into reality.

Watch Sophie Adenot's message from the ISS

“Receiving this message from Sophie Adenot aboard the International Space Station is an immense honour and a source of great pride for everyone at DON'T NOD. We would like to warmly thank her, as well as the ESA, for making this historic moment possible. Aphelion is above all a tribute to exploration, and seeing its mission patch floating in orbit is the greatest reward we could hope for,” said Oskar Guilbert, Chief Executive Officer of DON'T NOD.

When fiction meets Europe's space legacy

In Aphelion, a cinematic action-adventure game, players explore the frozen planet Persephone through the eyes of Ariane Montclair, an ESA astrobiologist taking part in the Hope-01 mission to secure humanity's future.

The parallel between fiction and reality is striking. From Sophie Adenot, inspired by the pioneering journey of Claudie Haigneré, the first French woman in space, to the virtual heroine Ariane Montclair, driven by the same spirit of discovery, one idea remains constant: hope is the force behind every great odyssey, whether it unfolds in real space exploration or within imagined worlds.

About DON'T NOD

DON'T NOD is an independent French publisher and developer with studios in Paris and Montréal creating original narrative games in the adventure (Life is Strange^TM, Tell Me Why^TM, Twin Mirror^TM), RPG (Vampyr^TM, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden^TM), and action (Remember Me^TM) genres. The studio is internationally renowned for unique narrative experiences with engaging stories and characters and has worked with industry leading publishers: Square Enix, Microsoft, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Focus Entertainment and Capcom. DON'T NOD creates and publishes its own IPs developed in-house such as Harmony: The Fall of Reverie^TM, Jusant^TM and Lost Records: Bloom & Rage^TM as well as using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with third-party developers whose editorial visions parallel the company's own.

Step into the studio's immersive and innovative universe at dont-nod.com

DON'T NOD (ISIN code: FR0013331212 - ALDNE) is listed on Euronext Growth Paris

About European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe's gateway to space.?

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.?

ESA has 23 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are Associate Members.?

ESA has established formal cooperation with four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.?

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int