Following Xbox’s shift into publishing its first-party titles across multiple platforms, many were wondering whether or not Starfield would be a part of it. Today, Bethesda has announced a new free update and new story DLC is coming. The new content and story DLC will be available to the game alongside the official launch of the game to PlayStation 5 on April 7.
The Free Lanes update will be free for all players. The biggest addition coming to the game is the ability to freely fly between planets in a star system. Players will be able to take off in any direction, letting the Frontier guide players through the massive expanse of space. The all-new Cruise mode allows players to experience the fantasy of life on their ships. Everything players can do while in orbit or docked, they’ll be able to do in Cruise mode: decorate the ship, chat with companions and crew, and use workbenches.
There will be new POIs that players can discover while in Cruise mode. There will also be new space encounters that have been added to the game. Some of the new encounters will pull ships out of Cruise mode so players will have to deal with it before moving on.
Another thing coming with the Free Lanes update is a new resource called X-Tech. With this, players will be able to customize all of their weapons, gear, and ships further than they have been able to do before. Players can customize weapon effects including Saboteur, Reckless, and Enigmatic, add a new Legendary rank for weapons, Helmets, Packs, and Suits. Two new quality tiers above advanced, Superior and Exceptional, have been added. A Ship Optimization Terminal has been added and can be dropped directly into a ship. Players can use X-Tech toi upgrade different systems like shield strength, weapons, engines, grav drive, and more.
A shared Outpost container can now be installed at each outpost. This allows players to quickly and easily share items and resources between outposts. Whatever gets dropped in one will be available at any other outpost with a shared container. A new Database system will help players find all of the other outposts quickly. It also pulls in everything that the player has learned, including information about locations that have visited, recipes that have been gathered, resources and ingredients that has been researched and where to find them. There is also a new Milliewhale outpost pet that will live in a chosen outpost, perform tricks, and just be a good little alien. Players will need to complete the “Housesitting” quest in the new Anchorpoint station to unlock the Milliwhale.
The update also adds the ability to upgrade Starborn abilities and adds the Quantum Entanglement device. This lets players take their favorite items into New Game+. There is also new ship modules, a new upgrade module slot, 27 Colony War Action Hero collectibles, more planetary POIs, new elite crew, new side quests, a new land vehicle, an Asteroid base home, new enemy modifers, new weapon skins, photomode poses with the REV-8, and new camera features.
The Terran Armada DLC will launch alongside the Free Lanes update on April 7 for $9.99. Players can also get it included with the Premium Edition or the Premium Edition upgrade. The story follows a new threat that has entered the Settled Systems. Believed themselves to be the “true” children of Earth, the Terran Armada is made up of members of the United Colonies and Freestar Collective who vanished during the Colony War. The Terrans are an advanced military force, largely comprised of robotic soldiers.
The new questline in Terran Armada is woven into the fabric of the Settled Systems. When the Terrans first arrive, their motivations are unclear, but the fate of the war against the Terran Armada will have consequences that ripple throughout the galaxy. The new story DLC also brings in a new companion, Delta, a reprogrammed Terran Armada robot.
Terran Armada will introduce the new Incursion system. These can occur almost anywhere in the Settled Systems and are both a key part of the DLC storyline as well as repeatable content with great loot to collect. Terran Incursions can be seen on the Starmap, so it’s the player’s choice to engage with them or not. Incursions range from small srkirmishes to large-scale infiltartions of Terran vessels where the objectives can vary.
Terran Armada adds new ships and ship parts, new gear, new Elite crew, a pre-built outpost, and new outpost decorations.
While the Free Lanes update and Terran Armada is coming April 7, the complete bounty series for the Tracker’s Alliance bounty contracts is now available on Xbox/PC.