The latest update for Stellaris, version 4.0, introduces babies to the galactic mix. While the previous absence of babies made sense because their utility is negligible to vast empires, their introduction has led to a curious bug suggesting that these infants may be edible.

The game introduces a new negative trait called “nascent stage,” which affects certain species types and indicates that their young are incapable of societal contribution for the first five years. Paradox Interactive describes it as:

This species gives birth at an early stage of development, resulting in a prolonged period where the young are incapable of contributing to society. During this time, they remain blissfully unaware of the responsibilities and burdens that come with sapience.

Post this period, these children could take up professions such as operating alloy refineries, seemingly making them productive members of society after their infancy.

Curiously, these “babies” are classified as “pre-sapient,” a category that existed prior to this update, which could lead to ethical decisions within the game. Players can opt to hunt or purge these beings based on their designated policies, raising the question of morality within a galaxy populated by advanced beings.

While players experimented with this extermination policy on infants, it was revealed that the effects were merely visual; these babies continued to grow and contribute to the population, occasionally making players rethink their extermination strategies and potentially leading to humorous outcomes within their gameplay.