The weird thing is that 1 by itself would make me think the game is about space exploration first, something closer to Freelancer or Elite, not any sort of strategy game, even more than pic 2, as even the name implies exploration. The background showing only 2 fighter type ships increases that feel. The two pompous figures have similar motifs and color^[In strategy games, different factions are first recognized by different colors, second by design], making it clear they're both on the same side, which also makes one think you're playing as one of them, or working for them

The new iteration you posted as a comment is better, as the hex border doesn't stand out too much, pairing well with the overall image border