If I use my imagination I can say that I think that:
1) Next update will come with this FE empire for free to those who have the Utopia DLC, because they are like a part of the story of the new crisis and depends of this DLC in particular.
2) But the thing that will not come for free are the portraits. This one looks like a Molluscoid, so I guess that a cosmetic DLC is on the way, and this one will bring new robots portraits that takes in consideration the species and will probably have two per species type, but its more probable that only one new. Maybe free to Utopia owners but I’m not sure.
3) Maybe the DLC will come with robotic start from the get go, maybe not, maybe is a free new feature for Utopia owners or all owners, but we will not know until the next DD.
Now, if everything I see here is free (or partially free due to the Utopia DLC), I will just go out and proclaim to the word of the Blorg and their friendship dogma.