About the game

Welcome to the Frontier

Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. Set in the year 2330, humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling the Settled Systems and living as a spacefaring civilization.

In this next-generation role-playing game, you join Constellation, the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy—as you navigate an expanse of over 1,000 planets.

Key Gameplay Features

• Total Freedom: Create any character you can imagine and explore a massive galaxy. From the sterile high-tech towers of New Atlantis to the gritty, “NASApunk” streets of Neon, the choice of where to go and who to be is entirely yours.
• Deep Customization: * Ship Building: Modify every aspect of your spacecraft, from reactors and grav drives to aesthetic habs.
  • Outpost Construction: Establish bases on distant moons to extract resources, conduct research, and house your crew.
  • Backgrounds & Traits: Choose a starting profession (like Cyber Runner or Chef) and unique traits that provide both gameplay buffs and narrative challenges.
• Dynamic Combat: Engage in tactical gunplay using ballistic, laser, or electromagnetic weaponry. Utilize Boost Packs for vertical mobility and master the art of zero-G ship dogfights.
• Constant Evolution: With the 2024 Shattered Space expansion and the recently released Terran Armada (2026) DLC, the lore surrounding House Va’ruun and the mysterious X-Tech has expanded the universe further than ever.

Major Factions of the Settled Systems

The Settled Systems: Where Starfield Takes Place

Starfield is set in the year 2330, roughly 20 years after a devastating war between two major human factions: the United Colonies — a military republic modeled on a classical empire — and the Freestar Collective — a confederation of independent worlds that values personal freedom above all else. The war ended in a ceasefire, but tensions remain high across the Settled Systems.

The “Settled Systems” refers to the star systems within 50 light-years of our solar system that humanity has colonized. Major locations include:

• New Atlantis (Jemison, Alpha Centauri) — Capital of the United Colonies and the largest city in the game. A sprawling multi-district city that serves as the main hub for the Constellation faction.
• Akila City (Akila, Cheyenne) — The capital of the Freestar Collective. A frontier-style city surrounded by dangerous alien fauna, with a strong cowboy aesthetic that contrasts sharply with New Atlantis.
• Neon (Volii Alpha, Volii) — A massive platform city built on ocean stilts, functioning as a pleasure city and corporate stronghold. Home to Aurora, a hallucinogenic drug unique to the planet.
• The Key — A repurposed station that serves as the headquarters of the Crimson Fleet pirate organization.

The Factions of Starfield

Beyond the major political factions, Starfield features several organizations the player can join and complete questlines for:

• Constellation — The main faction you join at the start of the game. A group of space explorers dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of the universe. Your companions Sarah Morgan, Sam Coe, Andreja, and Barrett are all Constellation members.
• UC Vanguard — The military arm of the United Colonies. Joining lets you access UC questlines and earn citizenship, which opens exclusive dialogue and faction content.
• Freestar Rangers — The lawkeeping organization of the Freestar Collective. The Ranger questline has a strong Western/crime drama tone and is widely considered among the best writing in the game.
• Ryujin Industries — A mega-corporation that hires you as an operative. The corporate espionage questline offers a different tone from the other factions — more morally grey and with meaningful choices.
• Crimson Fleet — The major pirate faction. This questline has a branching structure depending on whether you pursue it as a UC undercover operative or genuinely join the pirates.

The DLC: Shattered Space & Terran Armada

Starfield has received two major story DLC expansions since launch:

Shattered Space (2024) takes players to the home planet of House Va’ruun — one of the major religious factions mentioned throughout the base game but never fully explored. The DLC features a self-contained story set on a world that has been catastrophically altered, with new enemies, weapons, and a companion-focused narrative. It received strong reviews for its denser, more focused design compared to the base game’s more open structure.

Terran Armada (2026) is the second major story DLC and introduces a new questline that expands the lore of the Settled Systems’ military history. It includes a new robotic companion described as “morally complex” and several new ship configurations tied to the DLC’s faction. The update also included a major rework of the New Game Plus system.

Is Starfield Worth Playing in 2026?

Starfield in 2026 is a significantly different game from its 2023 launch version. The Free Lanes update (Patch 1.16.236) added open-space travel within star systems — addressing one of the most common criticisms about loading screens. Both DLCs add meaningful story content. The modding community has created hundreds of quality-of-life improvements available on PC and Xbox.

For players who bounced off at launch due to the loading screens or perceived emptiness of space travel, 2026 is the ideal time to return. For first-time players, the game with both DLCs and the latest patches offers a complete, polished experience.

Ready to dive in? Start with the Beginner Tips Guide, browse the Build Tier List to plan your character, or head to the Complete Guides Hub for all of our resources in one place.