The game was released on February 4, 2008, receiving positive reviews and multiple awards from the gaming press. Its first content expansion, titled "Entrenchment", was released as a download on February 25, 2009, and its second content expansion, titled "Diplomacy", was released as a download on February 9, 2010. A package combining the original game with the first two expansions was released at that time, with the title "Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity". A third expansion, the stand-alone "Rebellion", was released in June 2012.