Can you go to Earth in Starfield? This is one of the most frequent questions that many fans of the game have been asking. And as always, we have an answer for you right here.
A lot of players who dream of exploring space in Starfield have been wondering what will be the situation with our beloved planet. Bethesda kept much under wraps, but we now know enough to tell you whether you can visit planet Earth or not. Fans online have been talking a lot about what happened to Earth in the massive RPG game. Some even speculate that the big arch we saw in the Starfield gameplay trailer might be the St. Louis Gateway Arch. So if you want to know if you can travel to Earth in Starfield, stick with us.
For more on the game, check out whether you can land anywhere in Starfield. But if you're looking for something in particular, why not check out our Starfield hub? It's got all of our content on Bethesda's out-of-this-world IP in one convenient location!
Can you go to Earth in Starfield?
Yes! There is planet Earth in Starfield. However, it looks nothing like the one we live in. During some pre-launch gameplay, Bethesda revealed that like many other planets in the game, Earth is no longer habitable, at least to humans.
We won't go completely in-depth about what happened to Earth in Starfield, but rest assured this will be explained as you embark on your travels. In fact, you can find out yourself when you go to the museum in New Atlantis, the largest city in Starfield. The museum holds historical records of multiple planets and there you will learn of the events that led to the Earth's desolation.
Why is Earth not habitable in Starfield?
What we will say about Earth's eventual demise is that this largely is because the planet lost its atmosphere, which explains why it is no longer habitable. The cause of Earth's desolation is likely to have been a catastrophic event that forced the entire human race to abandon the planet and find a new home in the vast universe.
In typical Bethesda fashion, you'll undergo a particular quest in the Starfield story that'll shed some light on what happened to Earth. In fact, the game's lead quest designer Will Shen has said that “very early on in the main quest we take you to our solar system, which in our lore is called the ‘Old Neighbourhood’. You’ll be sent there on a mission from Constellation to discover the mysteries of the artefacts and you’ll get in contact with the question of ‘what happened to Earth?’”
Shen went on to say that shortly after that, players will visit planet Mars, which was one of humanity's earliest settlements after leaving Earth. We already know that both planet Earth and Mars are part of our solar system, Sol. Bethesda has also revealed that players will be able to travel to other planets within the Sol solar system in Starfield.
Many online discussions are full of players who wish to construct their bases on Earth, explore ruined landmarks, or even attempt to locate their former homes. While the latter is very unlikely to happen, we do know that you can discover Earth's history and explore the empty wasteland that used to be home to more than 8 billion people. In fact, as more players explore our once lively planet, more of its famous landmarks, or what remains of them, are being discovered.
For even more on Starfield, check out whether the game has dismemberment. We've also got a guide on how combat works in Starfield.