Starfield is Bethesda’s first new IP in decades, and that alone speaks to why there is so much hype behind the game—a game no one has really seen. There have been a few dev commentaries, a few faction reveals, some lore released, and so on, but if someone had to imagine what Starfield looked like right now, no one outside Bethesda could truly venture a guess.
That’s all likely to change soon enough, though. On June 12, the Xbox and Bethesda Games showcase will show off numerous games, and it’s a safe bet that Starfield is one of them. Bethesda usually shows off a game in the summer and follows that with a fall release, and while Starfield is a little different than, say Fallout 4, in terms of marketing, this showcase is the time to show off this major Xbox Series X console exclusive.
Looking through the lore, one thing players do know is that the events of Starfield take place 20 years after an event of the Colony War. The reasoning for this war remains unknown for now, but it’s likely to play as big of a role as Skyrim’s Civil War in the game—even if battles aren’t being fought. But for players to understand the Colony War, at least in theory, they need to understand the parties involved: The United Colonies and the Freestar Collective.
Starfield: The United Colonies
Starfield takes place in the Settled Systems some 50 light-years away from Earth. These systems include Alpha Centauri, Kryx, Sagan, Cheyenne, Lunara, and Narlon, with there being four dominant Starfield factions among them: Constellation, Freestar Collective, Ryujin Industries, and United Colonies.
Constellation and Ryujin Industries don’t appear to take part in this war, but they are important nonetheless. Players will apparently begin as part of this neutral Constellation faction, which are space explorers dedicated to discovering the greatest mysteries of the universe. Ryujin Industries is some corporate faction, likely bringing capitalism of some form to the Settled Systems.
For the two factions at war, though, about as much is known. The United Colonies is one of the two main governments in the Settled Systems, with its opposite being the Freestar Collective. The United Colonies seems to be a powerhouse in terms of military strength in the Settled Systems, but it also has a huge political influence on the comings and goings of these systems. It is a centralized republic governing numerous colonies on several planets and presumably systems; Starfield’s New Atlantis is the capital of the United Colonies, located on the planet Jemison in the Alpha Centauri System. “New Atlantis” is a foreboding name, but that’s about all that’s known.
Starfield: The Freestar Collective
The Freestar Collective, on the other hand, has been described as “space western fantasy.” They’re the equivalent of those settling the wild, wild west during US expansion. How closely this parallels concepts like the Oregon Trail, Westward Expansion, or Manifest Destiny remains to be seen, but it does have its own independence here. The Freestar Collective is a “libertarian confederation” across three star systems. Its capital is Akila City, which even looks like a western town, but this one has walls to protect its citizens from the Ashta—an alien wolf-velociraptor-like predator.
The one common element of the Freestar Collective is a belief in personal freedom and individuality. In other words, if one were to compare this to Skyrim’s Civil War, the United Colonies lines up with the Empire and the Freestar Collective with the Nords, very loosely.
Starfield’s Colony War: The United Colonies vs. The Freestar Collective
What sparked this war is unknown, but looking at the two political ideologies, they themselves likely serve as the purpose. Each faction has their loyal colonies, with the United Colonies likely looking to expand its military, political influence, and grasp on the Settled Systems, while the Freestar Collective is less colonizing and more welcoming in a way. The Freestar Collective is a confederation, so loosely tied together, and that means it and the Republic of the United Colonies likely had several land/planet/star system disputes.
The Freestar Collective’s military strength, if it has any central military at all, isn’t clarified, but it stands to reason that the United Colonies is stronger. It’s just likely difficult to retain so many star systems, while fighting a war across three star systems. Either way, the war ends in some form of truce, and the Freestar Collective maintains its independence. The peace with the United Colonies is fragile and uneasy, however, and both sides may be looking at potential weaknesses/faults in the other.
Starfield: Life After The Colony War
There’s a lot going on in Starfield's Settled Systems, and it’s likely players will feel the entire impact of the Colony War in the game. The uneasiness between these two factions isn’t the only thing players will have to contend with. While Constellation and Ryujin Industries seem friendly, at least on the surface, the power divide between UC and Freestar has allowed other factions to run wild too.
The Starfield character’s life won’t be easy, players can rest assured. Beyond the political, spacefaring intrigue, they’ll have to deal with the Crimson Fleet, Ecliptic Mercenaries, House Var’ruun, and Spacers. The exact threat of Spacers and Ecliptic Mercenaries isn’t fully known, but it stands to reason that these are the bandits of Starfield. Meanwhile, House Var’ruun is a cult and that opens a lot of storytelling potential, especially in space.
The Crimson Fleet has seemingly seized the most following the Colony War, as this group of pirates all organized under the same Jolly Roger, disrupted both Freestar Collective and United Colonies’ work in the Settled Systems, and established themselves in the Kryx, Sagan, Cheyenne, Lunara, and Narion Systems.
With little doubt, the Starfield player will be engaged with all of these factions, most if not all of these systems, and plenty of planets, mysteries, and political and military actions.
Starfield releases November 11 for PC and Xbox Series X.