Solaris is run by trans people.

Val, who founded Solaris and runs it, is trans. I'm Skye, I run Astrofox Studios, the company behind Solaris, and I'm trans too. So are a lot of the people on our team. Trans people have been here since day one: in our first test matches, building our maps, breaking our games and telling us exactly how to fix them.

So Trans Awareness Month isn't a box we're ticking. It's us standing up for our own people.

And right now, we need it. In the UK, where Solaris is based, trans people are waiting years for healthcare, watching their rights get argued over in public, and scrolling past cruelty every single day. A Minecraft server can't fix that. But we can make sure Solaris is somewhere trans players feel seen, safe and loved. And we can put real money behind the people who are fixing it.

So this November, that's exactly what we're doing. 🏳️‍⚧️

💙 Half of every Trans Pack goes to TransActual

All November, 50% of the price of every Trans Pack goes to TransActual, a trans-led organisation that has been fighting for trans people in the UK since 2017.

They push for better trans healthcare. They stand up for trans people's legal rights in front of politicians and the press. They run the Trans Health Forum and the Trans Healthcare Coalition, and they make sure trans people can find clear, honest information about their rights and the NHS. That's why we picked them: they don't just talk about change, they make it happen.

How it works, in plain English:

  • The pack is £7.99, and about £4 of every pack goes to TransActual
  • We work it out on the full price, before payment fees, so the fees come out of our half, not theirs
  • The pack never goes on sale or takes coupons, so every pack gives the same amount
  • When November ends, we send the whole lot to TransActual in one go, and we'll show you when it's done

Why we keep the other half: Solaris is a small, trans-led server, not a big company. The other half pays for putting this event on, and covers the tax and payment fees on every sale, so the money we send to TransActual is never eaten into.

You can watch the total grow on the fundraiser page, and in the hub, where a fundraiser bar under the clock fills up in trans flag colours with every pack.

TransActual is a Community Interest Company, not a registered charity. A CIC has to put its profits back into the community, and we chose them for the work they do, not the label. This is a charitable gift from us, and we're not claiming any tax relief on it. The full details are on the fundraiser page.

🎁 The Trans Pack

£7.99 in the store, until 30 November.

  • Transgender Title: a trans flag banner, with your name in a blue-to-pink gradient
  • Fundraiser Title: a pink title with its own heart icon in chat, the tab list and on nametags
  • Trans Wings
  • Trans Flag
  • Trans Bow
  • 200 Stars

🏳️‍⚧️ Pride, all over the server

  • Wings are here! A brand new cosmetic you wear on your back. They tilt when you crouch, and you can admire your own in F5
  • New Pride cosmetics: Trans Wings, Lesbian Wings, the Trans Saber, the Trans Pride Flag, the Trans Beanie, the Trans Bow and the Lesbian Bow
  • Title banners now stretch to fit, so even TRANSGENDER fits
  • Cataclysm's map has some exciting new places to visit: Femboy Falls, Tomboy Town, Estrogen Impact, Closet Castle and HRT Hotel
  • Splatshot's map is now called Woke Winterland ❄️

✨ Everything else in this update

This is also one of the biggest updates we've ever shipped. Here's the short version:

  • Cataclysm is now Squads. Teams of four, a shrinking storm, loot chests that burst open, gold vaults, grapples, launch pads and hammers that send you flying. Down a teammate? Crouch next to them to revive them. Bots fill empty slots, so you never wait long for a game. There's a minimap now too
  • Dodgeball is 4v4, with 2-minute matches and an arena that crumbles into the void as you play
  • Splatshot bots chat now, scoring is fairer, and you can join a match that's already running
  • Gems, MVPs and new end-of-match screens across our games, so you can see who really carried
  • More coins: you now get 10 coins every 10 minutes you're online (it used to be 2)
  • A new /help menu, a new hub sidebar, team-coloured boots, and a lot of small quality-of-life fixes
  • Apartments get a world border, and redstone is turned off in them
  • Loads of bug fixes, including dodgeballs flying straight through bots and players getting stuck in walls

Want every detail? It's all in the v0.6.0 changelog.

💜 This doesn't end in November

Solaris is a place for everyone, every month of the year. If anyone ever makes you feel unwelcome because of who you are, tell us on Discord and we'll deal with it. No debate.

To every trans player on Solaris: we see you, we're proud of you, and we're so glad you're here.

Grab a pack if you can, wear your wings with pride, and come and play.

Trans rights are human rights. 🏳️‍⚧️

-Skye