Bethesda posted a new Starfield timeline that digs into the space game’s sci-fi background and conflicted future on their official website. It starts in 2050, which is when Bethesda says humans land on Mars, an assumption that’s actually backed by NASA, and ends with Constellation purchasing a Starstation of its very own.
In between is a dense network of events, most of which center on Constellation’s formation and founding members, with a few star wars sprinkled in for good measure. In Starfield, humans arrived on Alpha Centauri in 2156, which isn’t NASA-supported; establish New Atlantis as the principal settlement by 2060, and wage an expansionist war before the century is out.
By 2221, the Freestar Collective and United Colonies have declared peace and formed the Settled Systems, along with the Freestar Rangers, a group dedicated to protect citizens of the alliance. Fast-forward to 2275, and Constellation itself springs into being with a founding set of wealthy patrons and daring adventurers, though Bethesda stops short of saying what its actual purpose is.
Yet another war breaks out in the early 2300s between the Freestar Collective and United Colonies over territory disputes. This one lasts until 2311 before a shaky peace reigns through the 2320s. Constellation continues expanding, a key member finds an Artifact, and then that’s where you come in.
It’s all very high politics, with splashes of American history thrown in with space-guerrilla warfare helping the underdog bring down the established galactic superpower.
What it all leads to and where your own adventure takes you remains to be seen, but we don’t have to wait long to find out. Starfield launches on Xbox Series X|S and PC via Windows on Sep. 6, 2023, and some dedicated fans are already piecing together the game’s skill tree and other details.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
