GamesCom is approaching next week, marking the anniversary of the public reveal of Endless Space 2 from Amplitude. As it gets ready for this year's show, the developer has released two new trailers, showing off the return of the Sophon and Craver factions to the game.

In addition to the prologue trailers, Amplitude has announced the return of its Faction Creation Contest, which gives fans of the series a chance to create their own race to be included in the game. The Automatons from Endless Space and the Cult of the Eternal End for Endless Legends were fan created additions to the games.

This time, the contest focuses on Pacifists, will be divided into three phases, allowing players to submit a fully fleshed out race:

• Gameplay Design: Every faction in Endless Space 2 contains unique gameplay traits and functions. How does yours differ, fight, defend, and live? Here, you’ll also include a light backstory/biography.
• Visual Design: What will your heroes look like, what is their habitat and how will your spaceships reflect and expand on your race’s beliefs?
• Narrative Design: Expand on the background idea to develop their culture, their beliefs, how they interact with other factions or fight against enemies.

The contest begins today and will run through October 13. Submissions will be judged by the Games2Gether community. Finalists for each phase will be selected by the community in a popular vote among all receivable entries, with the top three squaring off for a final vote.

Endless Space 2 was originally slated to come out later this year, but the developer was acquired by Sega last month. Now, Amplitude is promising that the game will be available on Steam Early Access later this summer. Both factions will be playable when the game becomes available in Early Access.

In the meantime, here is the prologue for the Sophons:

And the Prologue for the Cravers: