Bethesda has released a 280-year-long Starfield timeline on its official website. With the highly anticipated Xbox exclusive set to release in just over three weeks (and five days less if you get the Premiere Edition) many fans hungry for some juicy lore information will have plenty to feast on now. The timeline on the website covers a long stretch of time from humanity’s first venture to another planet all the way up until the year the game takes place, over three hundred years in the future from today.
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The Starfield timeline is presented in a scrolling fashion, so as you scroll down the website, more pieces gradually appear. It is almost like a CliffsNotes version of the timeline which will likely be expanded on in greater detail in the full release. Regardless, a lot of information about the history of the universe the game takes place in is provided through this timeline.
The Starfield Timeline: Venturing Into Space
The Starfield timeline begins in 2050 when humans first land on the red planet, Mars. The first hundred years or so are glossed over quite a bit here, but it is stated that by 2100, humans are already living out in space. We lurch forward to 2156 when humans first reach Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to Earth. As the timeline notes, it is about 4.37 lightyears away. If traveling at the speed of light, that would take over four years, so, assumedly, by this time in the Starfield universe, FTL travel has been developed.
Things start to heat up quickly in the Starfield timeline after this, as just three years later, in 2159, the United Colonies are formed. The United Colonies have been described as “the largest military and political force across all of the Settled Systems,” and we will soon see why. The following year, the city of New Atlantis is founded, and just a year after that it becomes the capital city of the United Colonies. New Atlantis is a large city set to play a key role in the game.
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We start to jump around a bit more after this on the Starfield timeline. In 2167, a new colony is founded and by 2189, the settlements of Voii and Cheyenne together form The Freestar Collective, another government entity separate from the United Colonies. In the 2190s, the United Colonies begins to encroach on Freestar Collective territory, and by 2196 the two have officially gone into military conflict with one another in what would later be known as The Nation War.
The Starfield Timeline: A History of Conflict and Exploration
The Nation War lasts twenty years, but eventually, in 2216, The Treaty of Narion is signed, and the term “Settled Systems” is formalized. In 2221, The Freestar Rangers are founded and in 2275, Constellation is formed by a group of scientists. Constellation is a major research and exploration faction that will serve a pivotal role in Starfield.
Unfortunately, in 2307, the Freestar Collective begins farming on a new world, which upsets the United Colonies who claim they have violated the Treaty of Narion by establishing a new colony. In 2308, The United Colonies attack and wipe out the entire colony on the planet of Vesta after diplomatic talks break down, officially starting The Colony War.
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During the war, Constellation continues their research and exploration, and by 2310 they come into possession of their first artifact, tucking it away in their archives. The following year, The Colony War finally comes to an end when the Freestar Collective uses a fleet of civilian and military ships to destroy major UC Navy ships using “hit-and-run tactics.” This leads to the creation of the UC Vanguard, as well, a civilian Navy meant to protect the UC and its various interests, using UC citizenship as a reward.
In 2319, Sarah Morgan becomes the youngest head ever of the UC Navigator Corps, but the division is shut down the following year, leading her to join Constealltion to continue her research. Over the next several years, many new key members join the group, and in 2326, Barrett finds the original artifact tucked away in the archives, immediately understanding it to be important. In 2328, Barrett convinces Constellation to purchase a massive station to be used as a deep space scanner, and it is later nicknamed “The Eye.”
The Starfield timeline finally arrives at 2330, where the events of the game will begin. Players will have a wide variety of different factions and playstyles to choose from in the game. Players’ characters will be a member of Constellation, but it will be interesting to see how they can interact with and join other factions and how much the different story paths may diverge depending on the choices they make.
Starfield is set to release on September 6, 2023 exclusively for Xbox Series X|S and PC, and it will launch on GamePass as well. Players who wish to jump in sooner can either buy the Premiere Edition or, if on GamePass, the Premiere Edition Upgrade, which allows up to five days early access to the game.
What do you think of the Starfield timeline? Does its history of war and exploration interest you and make you want to learn more in the full game, or do you wish instead to focus on the stories taking place in the game’s present day? Let us know in the comments and on our social media feeds!
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