Starfield
Starfield is Bethesda Game Studios' single-player action-RPG set in the Settled Systems in the year 2330. You create a customizable character, join the explorer group Constellation, and range across 1,000+ planets — building ships, establishing outposts, joining factions and unlocking Powers via New Game Plus. Launched September 6, 2023 (PC/Xbox), it later reached PlayStation 5 and has been expanded through the Shattered Space story DLC and ongoing content updates (including the Free Lanes cruise-mode update and Terran Armada content) that reshaped the 2026 weapon, ship and build meta.
Getting Started
Starfield front-loads two choices that shape your whole run — your Background (which grants three starting skills) and your Traits. Pick to match how you want to play, then invest early skill points in the fundamentals below before specialising.
Who to prioritise
- Background: Bounty Hunter or Combat-focused startCombat-leaning Backgrounds give early Ballistics/Boost Pack/piloting skills that carry both on-foot and in ship fights — the most universally useful opening for a first run.
- Early skill: Boost Pack TrainingA Physical-tree staple — unlocks jetpack use and is one of the highest-impact quality-of-life and combat mobility skills in the early game.
- Early skill: Weight Lifting + Ballistics/Pistol CertificationMore carry capacity plus a damage skill for your main weapon type keeps you effective while you learn the systems.
- Do a few faction questlinesThe UC Vanguard, Freestar Rangers, Crimson Fleet and Ryujin questlines are among the best content and reward strong gear, credits and companions.
Weapon Tier List
Weapons
The Starfield weapon meta, ranked Overall for the current 2026 game (after Free Lanes and X-Tech gear). Tap a weapon for its damage type, best mods and where it lands.
Revenant
Sustained-DPS room-clearer — the post–Free Lanes gold standard.
Magshear
King of generalist rifles — reliable mid-range shredder.
Unmitigated Violence
Elite opener and crowd-control laser.
Magsniper
Highest single-shot damage — stealth one-shot ceiling.
Va'ruun Inflictor
Highest energy-damage particle rifle — versatile heavy hitter.
Eternity's Gate
Hybrid-damage nuke for mixed-resistance packs.
Magpulse
Precision burst cannon for range and elites.
Big Bang
Close-range breacher with the game's highest CQB ceiling.
Keelhauler
Best-in-slot Gunslinger sidearm that outlasts the endgame.
Hard Target
Best non-unique sniper — low-maintenance long-range.
Bulldog
Free Lanes laser rifle — high damage and fire rate.
Shattered Shock
Armour-break specialist for NG+ and heavily-armoured enemies.
Lawgiver
Superior workhorse that finishes most fights.
Beowulf
Reliable all-round assault rifle staple.
Poisonstorm
Fire-rate poison-DoT area-denial heavy.
Novablast Disruptor
Non-lethal EM stun/capture tool.
Coachman
Cheap early-game close-range shotgun.
AA-99
High-fire-rate automatic filler rifle.
Grendel
Compact budget starter rifle.
Systems
The core progression systems — skills, ship building, outposts, crafting and New Game Plus.
Skills & the Five Trees
Starfield has no fixed classes: your build is defined entirely by five skill trees — Physical, Social, Combat, Science and Tech — with each level-up granting one skill point to spend. Every skill has four ranks, and unlocking a higher rank requires both enough points already invested in that tree and completing a skill challenge (such as a kill or usage quota) for that specific skill. This gates power behind actually playing your intended style, so early investment shapes whether you become a gunslinger, ship engineer, outpost baron or stealth infiltrator.
Ship Building
At any Ship Services Technician or shipyard you enter the ship builder and snap modules — cockpits, habs, reactors, grav drives, engines, shields, weapons and landing/docking gear — onto a hull, with the reactor’s output capping how many powered systems you can run at once. Ships are graded Class A, B or C by reactor and mass, and flying the heavier B- and C-class hulls requires ranks in the Piloting skill. The 2026 Free Lanes update layered on ship optimization via the scavenged resource X-Tech, letting you push modules and weapons into new Superior and Exceptional quality tiers.
Outposts
You claim a site by dropping an Outpost Beacon on a scanned world, then build extractors over resource veins for automated extraction, powered by generators and fed into storage, with cargo links shipping materials between outposts and up to orbit. The April 2026 Free Lanes update turned this from a chore into a logistics layer by adding cross-outpost (shared) storage, a resource/planet Database index and smarter cargo links, enabling a hub-and-spoke network where lean mining bases feed one main crafting hub. That cross-storage change is the single biggest quality-of-life fix, removing most of the manual hauling between bases.
New Game Plus
Completing the main quest and stepping into the Unity begins New Game Plus in a freshly generated universe: you keep your character level, all skills and ranks, traits, every Starborn power (and its upgraded ranks) and the Frontier, while inventory, credits, other ships, outposts and companion relationships all reset. A small pool of rare, unique universe variations can appear on any given jump, giving each run a chance at a radically different Constellation. Free Lanes added the Quantum Entanglement Device at the Constellation Lodge — a capped cross-universe stash — so a limited set of chosen items can now travel with you through the Unity instead of everything being wiped.
Crafting & Research
Crafting is gated behind the Research Laboratory: you spend gathered resources on Research Projects to unlock blueprints, then use the Weapon, Spacesuit and Industrial workbenches to install weapon mods, spacesuit/pack mods and armor upgrades. Resources come from mining, looting, buying or automated outpost extraction, which is why outpost and skill investment feed directly into gear quality. In 2026, Terran Armada added X-Tech as a scavengeable high-end resource used to craft legendary Superior and Exceptional effects onto weapons and gear within the base game.
Powers & Temples
Starborn Powers are the game’s magic-like abilities, each unlocked by tracking down a Temple — anomalies scattered across the galaxy, located via Constellation research and orbital scanning — and completing its zero-gravity ritual to absorb the power inside. Historically the only way to strengthen a power was to re-enter its temple in successive New Game Plus universes, stacking its rank across the Unity loop. The Shattered Space-era update softened that grind by letting you upgrade powers with Quantum Essence (farmed from Starborn ships), reducing the need to repeatedly replay temples just to max a power.
Factions
Starfield’s major factions each run a self-contained questline that gates unique gear, ships and companions: the UC Vanguard (join the United Colonies military and earn full citizenship), the Freestar Rangers (frontier lawmen whose line rewards the Star Eagle ship), the Crimson Fleet (pirates, entered through a UC SysDef double-agent choice) and Ryujin Industries (corporate espionage climbing the ladder in Neon). Because rewards, reputation and even some romances hinge on choices made inside these arcs, the faction questlines are among the strongest reasons to build a character a certain way. They can be run largely in parallel with the main story and remain the primary source of standout non-crafted equipment.
Companions
Sarah Morgan
Constellation's leader and best all-round travel companion — top-tier Astrodynamics (★★★★) for grav-jump range and fuel efficiency, plus Lasers (★★★), Leadership (★★) and Botany (★). Fully romanceable and counts toward the Starcrossed achievement; disapproves of theft and needless cruelty.
Sam Coe
Ex-Freestar Ranger and the best pilot companion — Piloting (★★★★) lets you field higher-class ships earlier, backed by Rifle Certification (★★★), Payloads (★★) and Geology (★). Fully romanceable (Starcrossed-eligible); rated alongside Sarah as a best-in-any-situation companion.
Barrett
Veteran Constellation explorer and premier ship-crew engineer — Starship Engineering (★★★★) boosts shields and repair, plus Particle Beam Weapon Systems (★★★), Robotics (★★) and Gastronomy (★). Fully romanceable; the go-to permanent crew pick for surviving Terran Armada and NG+ space battles.
Andreja
Va’ruun-aligned mystic and the best stealth companion — maxed Stealth (★★★★) with Particle Beams (★★★), Energy Weapon Systems (★★) and Theft (★). Fully romanceable and far more tolerant of morally grey actions than Sarah or Sam, making her ideal for stealth, thief and pirate runs.
Vasco
Constellation's Model A EVA robot and your earliest companion — sturdy, immortal utility crew with solid ship-system bonuses, useful as a permanent crew member. Not romanceable and carries no relationship arc.
The Adoring Fan
A comedic starstruck follower unlocked only by taking the Hero Worshipped trait at character creation. He tags along carrying gifts and loot but is a weak combatant with negligible skills; not romanceable.
Delta (Terran Armada)
The Terran robot companion added with the Terran Armada expansion — pitched by Bethesda as "not evil, but definitely not good," the perfect sidekick for a morally-grey captain where Constellation crew would disapprove. Recruited by completing "Lost Luxury," the expansion’s second mission; not romanceable.
Sahima Ka’dic (Shattered Space)
A House Ka’dic crew member added in Shattered Space, valued as a ship-systems specialist — EM Weapon Systems (★★), Aneutronic Fusion (★) for extra reactor power, and Sniper Certification (★). Recruited at House Ka’dic on Va’ruun’kai after "Zealous Overreach"; not romanceable (Shattered Space adds no new romances).
Ships
Star Eagle (Class A)
Still the best free combat ship in 2026 — strong hull, shields and a mixed weapon set, and an ideal lean platform for Free Lanes cruise-mode upgrades. Awarded for completing the Freestar Rangers faction questline (e.g. "Hammer Falls").
Razorleaf (Class A)
The best early-game combat and boarding ship, with good shields, weapons and built-in shielded cargo for smuggling. Earned by completing "The Mantis" after finding the Secret Outpost datapad on a Spacer.
Kepler R (Class C)
A free Class C powerhouse and excellent endgame build base. Reward for the "Overdesigned" side quest from Walter Stroud at the Lodge — choose the larger "kitchen sink" budget and pass the persuasion/feedback checks to get the R over the smaller Kepler S.
Shieldbreaker (Class B)
A heavily-armed mid-game combat cruiser and a solid one-ship all-rounder. Bought from the New Atlantis Ship Services Technician once you reach Piloting Rank 3.
Narwhal (Class C)
The best overall stock ship — huge hull and shields, a ~36-power reactor, big crew/cargo and strong default weapons, making it the prime base for X-Tech shield/weapon optimization. Bought for ~450,000 credits from Veronica Young (Taiyo) in the Ryujin Tower on Neon.
Abyss Trekker (Class C)
The best pure-DPS gunship — a glass cannon with concentrated forward-firing weapons for fast kills, pairing well with Terran Armada schematics and X-Tech damage upgrades. Available to buy as a stock Class C combat ship.
Terran Armada hulls (e.g. Saladin)
Elite endgame combat platforms from the Terran Armada expansion. They cannot be bought — you commandeer them in Armada encounters, and destroying them drops new module schematics like the evasive stealth drive (near-invisibility, previously Starborn-only) and micro reactor.
Vanquisher (Class C)
The best off-the-shelf purchasable Class C if you skip the Narwhal — broadly high stats (~1,000 shields, ~4,000 cargo, 6 crew, ~29 LY grav range, tri-weapon setup) and an excellent upgrade platform for higher-tier shields, grav drives and Terran/X-Tech weapons.
Meta Builds
Ronin Melee Assassin
Hyper-lethal stealth melee for planetary content, chaining power attacks and sneak-attack multipliers. Key skills: Dueling/Martial Arts, Stealth, Concealment, Isolation, plus Fitness/Gymnastics for O2. Best weapon: swords/melee (no ammo dependency). Background: Ronin; Traits: Alien DNA, Introvert, Wanted.
Stealth Sniper Infiltrator
Long-range one-shot specialist, one of the strongest all-round combat builds in 2026. Key skills: Stealth, Sniper Certification, Concealment, Ballistics, Sharpshooting. Best weapon: ballistic snipers (Magsniper / Hard Target). Background: Cyber Runner (Stealth/Security/Theft); Traits: Introvert, Wanted, Alien DNA.
Ballistic Bounty Hunter
Versatile ground-and-space contract build tuned for Free Lanes loops. Key skills: Ballistics, Pistol & Rifle Certification, Boost Pack Training, Security, Targeting Control Systems. Best weapon: ballistic pistols/rifles (Keelhauler, Revenant). Background: Bounty Hunter (Piloting/Targeting/Boost Pack); Traits: Alien DNA, Introvert, Wanted.
Laser / Particle Beam Specialist
Ranged energy DPS that melts the heavily-armored Shattered Space and Terran Armada enemies via armor-ignoring beams. Key skills: Lasers, Particle Beams, Weapon Engineering, plus Science nodes. Best weapon: energy rifles (Unmitigated Violence, Va’Ruun Inflictor). Background: Explorer (Lasers/Astrodynamics/Surveying); Traits: Alien DNA, Terra Firma or Spaced, Extrovert.
Ship Combat Ace
Space-first build for dogfights, cruise-mode battles and Terran Armada fleets, with ground combat as an afterthought. Key skills: Piloting, Targeting Control Systems, Starship Design/Engineering, Shield Systems. Best "weapon": ship loadout (6× Vanguard Obliterators + 6× Vanguard Hellfires). Background: Bounty Hunter; Traits: Alien DNA, Wanted.
Starborn Powers
Anti-Gravity Field
Generates a localized field of intense low gravity that lifts enemies into zero-g where they can’t respond for a time — one of the strongest and rare among powers for being area-based crowd control. Worth ranking up across New Game Plus as reliable, ammo-free CC against groups.
Personal Atmosphere
Instantly refills your O2 and clears CO2. It doubles as an encumbrance workaround, letting you sprint while heavily over-loaded to hoard materials — a quality-of-life staple you re-collect and stack each NG+ cycle.
Sense Star Stuff
For 15 energy, reveals every living entity nearby — human, alien or Starborn — as a glowing silhouette through walls. A cheap, always-useful scouting and combat-awareness tool that stays relevant at every rank.
Parallel Self
Summons a copy of yourself (learned at Temple Sigma) to fight alongside you for a time, adding damage and drawing aggro. Scaling it up across NG+ turns your clone into a genuine second gun in tough fights.
Gravity Wave
Launches a wave that staggers and knocks down nearby adversaries, buying breathing room in melee-range chaos. A strong panic button that gets more reliable at higher ranks earned through NG+ temple runs.
Elemental Pull
Breaks up inorganic resources and pulls them toward you, streamlining mining and material farming. A pure-utility pick that speeds up the outpost/crafting loop and X-Tech gathering — handy to keep stacked between universes.
Grav Dash
Pushes you forward with great force while boosting your damage output — a mobility-plus-offense power for closing gaps and opening a burst. Ranking it up in NG+ makes it a strong aggressive opener for melee and shotgun builds.
Reactive Shield
Projects a shield that protects you from incoming enemy projectiles for a duration. A defensive staple worth stacking through NG+ so higher ranks keep pace with the tougher Shattered Space and Terran Armada enemies.
What's New
Launch, expansions and the major 2026 updates — newest first.
- Apr 13, 2026UpdateStarfield launches on PlayStation 5 — a rocky port that Bethesda follows with hotfixes
- Apr 12, 2026EventTerran Armada ("Expansion 2") revealed — new endgame content, ship parts and builds
- Apr 11, 2026UpdateFree Lanes update reshapes space travel (cruise mode) and the weapon/ship meta
- Sep 30, 2024UpdateShattered Space story expansion released — the Va'ruun homeworld of Oborum Prime
- Sep 6, 2023UpdateStarfield launches on PC and Xbox Series X|S
FAQ
Is Starfield on PS5?
Yes. Starfield originally launched on PC and Xbox Series X|S in September 2023 and later came to PlayStation 5 in 2026. The PS5 port had a rocky launch that Bethesda followed with hotfixes, so check the recommended PS5 settings for the smoothest experience.
What are the best weapons in Starfield in 2026?
After the Free Lanes update the meta favours high-tier ballistic and particle weapons with Superior/Exceptional and X-Tech qualities. Rerolling for the right damage type and quality matters more than the base gun. See the full current tier list for the top picks.
What is the best build in Starfield?
There is no single best build — the current meta centres on a handful of setups (stealth-sniper, combat-tank, ship-combat, outpost-industrialist and a Starborn power build), each pairing a starting Background and Traits with a focused skill path. See the five meta setups for details.
How does New Game Plus work in Starfield?
Completing the main story takes your character through the Unity into New Game Plus, resetting the world and quests but keeping your level, skills and Starborn Powers — which rank up each cycle. There are roughly ten rare NG+ variations of the Unity to discover across runs.
What is Terran Armada?
Terran Armada is Starfield's second major expansion ("Expansion 2"), adding new endgame content, ship parts and builds on top of the earlier Shattered Space story DLC. It reshaped parts of the 2026 ship and gear meta.
Can you romance companions in Starfield?
Yes. The four main Constellation companions — Sarah Morgan, Sam Coe, Barrett and Andreja — are romanceable through repeated approval and their personal quests. Other followers (Vasco, hireable crew) can join your ship but are not romance options.
How many planets are in Starfield?
Starfield features over 1,000 planets and moons across roughly 100 star systems in the Settled Systems, a mix of hand-crafted locations and procedurally generated surfaces you can land on, survey and build outposts on.
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