Bethesda’s incredibly anticipated space adventure, Starfield, arrives in September, and there have been many details to dissect, including Factions.
Information such as file size and different editions to pre-order has come out, and now, players excited to dive into the new worlds from Bethesda can begin to see what factions players can interact with in the game. Whether they are a friend or foe to players, is entirely up to them.
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What Are Factions?
Similar to other Bethesda games, factions are groups that players are able to join and complete missions for. If Fallout 4 is anything to base faction choice on, players can switch between factions at will but can only remain with one when the game concludes.
Starfield has two distinct groups of factions, major and minor. Some factions, such as those in the major category, tend to have a big influence on the story narrative. Interactions with them will change based on choices within the story.
While minor groups are still joinable, they only have smaller mission storylines to progress. Currently, it seems that all factions in Starfield are joinable.
Major Factions in Starfield
The major factions all play a pivotal role in the story of Starfield. Presently, there are six major groups for the player to join and each Faction serves a different purpose. As with the Brotherhood of Steel and Railroad in Fallout 4, players can jump between them.
Here are all the confirmed major Factions:
Constellation
The Constellation are an essential group to Starfield’s main plot and players join them as a newbie. The purpose behind them is they are a group of space explorers who wish to uncover the mysteries of the universe.
The means to achieve this are done by collecting artifacts throughout the universe to complete a device called “The Eye”. The player will look to help them with recovering the pieces. Have you ever been curious about what is out there in the universe? The Constellation aims to find out.
Here are the known members of the Constellation group:
- Sarah Morgan: The leader of the Constellation, Sarah is not only recruitable but can also be romanced by the player.
- Barrett: The first NPC that players will meet within the Constellation, Barrett is first seen after players discover their first artifact. He can be recruited and join the player on their adventure.
- Matteo: Matteo is a member of the Constellation with a deep ideology, and is the epitome of the group’s goals and wishes to know what is out there.
- Noel: A gifted scientist among many that inhabit the Constellation faction.
- Sam Coe: A turncoat from the Freestar Collective, Sam is a part of the Constellation. The player can romance and recruit Sam.
- Vasco: The loveable robot that features in trailers. Vasco is a heavy utility robot for the Constellation which the player can have as a crew mate.
- Vlad: An ex-pirate that left the dangerous lifestyle behind to pursue a greater cause with the Constellation.
- Walter: A wealthy businessman and the financier for the Constellation group, interested in one thing, money.
The group is based out of New Atlantis on the planet of Jemison.
United Colonies
The UC is a militaristic force that identifies as a republic. Those who embody this believe they are the ideal and best choice for leading the galaxy. Years before the events of Starfield, the United Colonies were in a war with another large faction known as the Freestar Collective. As of the events of the story, both groups have settled a peace treaty.
These are the known members that players will meet:
- Commander Kibwe Ikande: A commander of the UC Vigilance.
- Fleet Admiral Pascual Logan: Leader of the UC faction. Logan has a deep hatred towards pirates and the Crimson Fleet, showing no mercy towards them.
- Lieutenant John Tuala: John is a lieutenant in the Vanguard, a specialized group within the United Colonies.
The home base for the United Colonies is in New Atlantis on Jemison.
Freestar Collective
Another big faction within the world of Starfield. The Freestar Collective was at war with the United Colonies just before the main story begins. The factions are in a truce, for now…
The Collective sees differently from the United Colonies, believing that all citizens within the Settled Systems (worlds of Starfield) have the right to both freedom and individuality. Based on the design of Sam Coe, the faction’s aesthetic is that of space cowboys.
The Freestar Collective is located in Akila City on the planet of Akila.
Crimson Fleet
The faction is infamously known for being space pirates. Players are able to join the faction like other major factions. However, the fleet has an important rule of bringing death to anyone that wishes to leave it.
As with the other factions, there are missions that can be progressed by joining and working for the Crimson Fleet leader.
Ryujin Industries
Ryujin Industries is a powerful mega-corporation that players will be able to join by applying for a position with them.
Ryujin is based out of the city called Neon.
Xenofresh Corporation
Xenofresh is another company that is also based in Neon, and originally discovered that fish on the planet would cause psychedelic trips.
The company harnessed this to sell a drug that would become known as “Aurora”. The profits from Aurora would go on to turn Neon from a simple outpost into a glowing metropolis.
Minor Factions in Starfield
Minor Factions are groups where only some are joinable. However, their story progression isn’t tied to the main narrative.
Below are the five minor Factions players can interact with:
Ecliptic Mercenaries
Ecliptic Mercenaries is a Faction of heavily armed thugs, which prove to be an issue for the player throughout the game.
Being guns for hire, the Ecliptic Mercenaries look to be part of the retaliatory force hunting the player if they betray a Faction. It seems very unlikely that the player will be able to join them.
Violent Spacers
Violent Spacers is a small group of human outcasts from the galaxy. The Spacers look to be another problem for the player-character and will attack on sight, no matter what.
House Va’ruun
House Va’ruun is a hostile group of human zealots that see everyone else in the galaxy as hostile, including the player.
Enlightened
Enlightened is a religious Faction. Players are able to join the Enlightened during character creation if they pick the “Raised Enlightened” trait when starting out.
Sanctum Universum
Sanctum Universum is another religious group. By picking a trait known as “Raised Universal” during character creation, players will be a part of the group.
As of now, that is all the info known about the factions coming to Starfield. More details may arise as the game’s release date approaches on September 6, 2023.
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