Skip To...
In typical Bethesda fashion, Starfield is home to many different factions for players to interact with. Most of these factions are deeply thought-out, with intriguing goals and backgrounds to explore. Nonetheless, with the sheer amount of player-directed decisions in the game, it can be difficult to grasp who each faction is and what they all stand for. This guide will dutifully explain every major Starfield faction to help you on your journey.
Every Starfield Faction Explained
Here is a breakdown of all major and minor factions the worlds of Starfield have to offer.
Constellation
Constellation is integral to the plot of Starfield. The rag-tag group of explorers is all about mapping out the galaxy and discovering what is out there. As the main faction of the game, it will be the breeding ground for many quests, romance options, and more!
Constellation can be found in New Atlantis on Jemison, in a building called ‘The Lodge.’ Joining the faction is incredibly straightforward – simply playing the main campaign will ensure you become a member.
Freestar Collective
In Bethesda’s words, Freestar Collective is a “loose confederation of three distinct star systems.” The Freestar Collective takes on a largely libertarian ideology, where personal freedom is paramount. Moreover, this Starfield faction is essentially the Wild West in space, which makes for some seriously cool questlines.
You can find the Freestar Collective in their headquarters in Akila. By joining, you pledge to do two things: first, uphold the law as a ranger. Secondly, protect the citizens from the Ashta that live outside the city’s walls.
United Colonies
Similarly to Constellation, the United Colonies is a faction based out of New Atlantis on Jemison. The UC is your classic cookie-cutter space republic, where militarization is central to their ideologies. Furthermore, the faction values being part of something greater, obeying the law, and contributing to society.
Joining the United Colonies is a relatively simple task. Players should be invited to begin the Crimson Fleet storyline early in the main campaign. Because The UC is one of Starfield’s largest factions, there is plenty of great content to go along with it.
Crimson Fleet
The same Starfield faction you spy on as a United Colonies member is also joinable. The Crimson Fleet is occupied by a gang of misfits, space pirates, and bad-meaning individuals. Consequently, joining the faction is a permanent decision in their eyes, and any attempt to leave will be met with violence.
There are a few different ways to join the Crimson Fleet, but the easiest method is simply committing a crime inside UC territory. As strange as it may seem, it is still possible to be an upstanding civilian and a part of the faction.
Ryujin Industries
Ryujin Industries is one of Starfield’s most predominant mega-corporations. The faction is one of two groups that control virtually everything in Neon. Thus, it is immensely powerful. It feels more cyberpunk than sci-fi, but that is exactly what makes it feel so unique.
Joining the faction is more of an investment than most others, but the time spent doing so flies by. The quest to join can be started by heading to Neon on the planet Volii Alpha and filling out a job application at any Ryukin Kiosks.
Xenofresh Corporation
Xenofresh Corporation might just barely have more influence over the city of Neon than Ryukin Industries. This is because they are the faction that built and expanded Neon after discovering the plethora of nearby Aurora drug sources. The group is no stranger to controversy and will certainly not do you any moral favors by joining.
Unfortunately, we don’t yet know the process of joining the faction, but it has been confirmed possible by Starfield’s developers. Rest assured, we will update this article as soon as we know how to get you into that drug ring!
Minor Factions
There are also plenty of minor factions in Starfield that don’t quite qualify to make it on this list – either because their influence on the game is minimal or because they are not joinable. You can read a bit about them below.
- The Enlightened – An Atheistic religion that doesn’t believe in divinity. They instead preach that humans are responsible for each other and should participate in acts of charity.
- The Universals – A Theistic religion that believes a singular God is guiding humanity. They believe that God wants humans to explore his universe and eventually meet him.
- House Va’ruun – A hostile religion that believes that there is a ‘great serpent’ who speaks to its members. They also believe that those who do not join them will be destroyed.
- Spacers – Violent criminals who are well established throughout the settled systems. Little is known about them or their motives, but they will attack on site seemingly without explanation.
- Ecliptic Mercenaries – Similar to the Spacers, though they are established as a group of bounty hunters available for hire
- Argos Extractors – An interstellar mining corporation that mostly minds its business.
For more information on each of Starfield’s religions, check out our religion guide here.
