Starfield’s Shattered Space expansion is potentially only a few months away, and players eagerly await what Bethesda has in store. If you are one of the thousands itching to get some Starfield DLC fun, then you will need to know how to be prepared for its release. Here are all the things you can do to prepare for Starfield’s Shattered Space expansion!
Also, Spoiler Alert! There are some unavoidable spoilers below, so be aware if you haven’t progressed very far into the game.
Purchase Starfield Premium Edition
The Shattered Space DLC is only available for players who have purchased one of the Premium versions of Starfield. If you are playing for free via Xbox Game Pass, you will have to buy the extra upgrade for $34.99 before the Shattered Space expansion downloads. If you have already purchased the digital or physical premium edition or the Constellation edition, you won’t have to do anything else to claim your Shattered Space DLC.
Once you have the upgraded version, the Shattered Space DLC will automatically download upon release. Judging from Bethesda’s track record of DLC releases, it would be reasonable to assume this new expansion will arrive sometime in early 2024.
Learn the Lore
Before jumping into whatever the new story expansion has to offer, getting properly acquainted with existing Starfield lore is a good idea. Pay attention to the main story and how the side missions and general activities weave into each other.
Learn all you can about who Constellation is, why there are so many subsections of humanity split across the stars, and why humanity abandoned Earth in the first place. What we know so far starts from humans arriving on Mars in 2050 to the in-game present-day 2330 when you join Constellation. That’s a lot of history to delve into!
Complete All Faction Quests and Missions
Although no one knows what the Starfield Shattered Space expansion DLC will contain, there have been rumors about its content. One of these hopeful rumors is that it will take us further into the story behind some of the factions in Starfield, such as the Va’Ruun.
House Va’Ruun wasn’t fully explored in the main game, so Bethesda could use Shattered Space to delve deeper into their history and allow us to learn more about who they are. The faction is pretty intriguing, and as someone who chose to be a part of their house, I would love to see them rise in power or contest some of the militant factions like the UC. It would also be super funny to see that the Great Serpent is real after all — perhaps in one of the alternate dimensions.
We could possibly see the shattering of peace that exists currently between factions while playing the new DLC. If this is the case, then completing all the faction storylines would give you a good understanding of where each of them stands. Maybe there is a new faction to be discovered in this upcoming story expansion? That would certainly throw a space spanner in the works.
Complete the Main Story Quests and Missions
As Shattered Space is arriving months after the base game’s release, this could suggest that it serves as a continuation of the main story. It is entirely possible that the new expansion would look into the history of Constellation. We could even be transported back in time to see what exactly happened to humanity during their last days on Earth.
All of these potential stories would be made even more satisfying if you have played through the main story quests and missions already. If you’re anything like me and have questions about this universe and how humans ended up sprawled across it, you are probably hoping this new DLC has some answers.
Get Into New Game Plus
Finishing the main storyline and moving on to New Game Plus is also a pretty good idea. There is plenty of time to explore what New Game Plus has to offer, so playing through at least one time would possibly be advantageous.
The expansion may very well look into the more mysterious areas of Starfield some more. This might include exploring the history of the Starborn further and discovering secrets about the Unity. It is also possible that our antics with the Unity caused cracks in space and time, which are ripping the universe apart, and only you can save it. There are so many possibilities that we believe it is probably worth not only completing the main quests but also investigating New Game Plus.
Level Up and Upgrade Perks
You don’t want to enter a new Shattered Space adventure without the right kit, so we suggest leveling up as much as possible.
Go out XP farming to unlock and upgrade as many perks as possible. Farming for XP can be as simple as visiting planets rich with life and bouncing around surveying it all. If there are herds of creatures to hunt, that can also earn you hundreds of XP apiece.
Bethesda has already confirmed that this DLC will be a “story expansion,” so it may be safe to assume we will be taken on another bumpy ride through the galaxy. It is best to be prepared for bigger battles, more inter-faction drama, and maybe even new cities and planets to explore! With that in mind, we would also advise you to upgrade all the perks that help with gun fights and health regen and even brush up on your Manipulation skills.
Get Resourceful
As you boost-pack about some distant planet, it is worth gathering resources. Store what you need in your ship or with your companion to keep it all safe. The new content will likely have bigger and better outpost-related features, so having a good store of resources will stand you in good stead!
Every building or section of an Outpost requires its own resources to build, so it is best to save just about everything you find, from Aluminum to Ytterbium and everything in between! There are many planets rich with resources, so set up a few mining outposts of your own while you await the new DLC.
Gear Up
In addition to upgrading all the perks you can get, you will also want to think about gearing up. Weapons, helmets, and suits can make or break you in a fight! Despite not knowing what battles face us when the Shattered Space expansion arrives, we know we will almost certainly be in for a ride.
Be prepared for whatever there is to come by getting the best weapons and gear you can find. Find a weapons bench to fix up some mods and make yourself virtually unstoppable against any foe! Helmets and suits can also give you significant boosts in O2, stealth, and more, so choose wisely.
Design Yourself a Powerful Ship
Before the new DLC arrives, it would be worth diving deep into shipbuilding. You can, of course, purchase a huge and powerful ship, but where is the fun in that? After upgrading all the ship-related perks, you’re next mission should be to see what sort of ship you can design and build ready for the new adventures.
Be sure to give it every powerful weapon and the highest specs you can in case there are some epic dogfights waiting for you in Shattered Space! You can even make sure you stand out against the starry sky by painting the hull in any color imaginable. There is no telling what the new expansion will bring, so it may be worth ensuring you have a mighty and deadly spaceship ready and waiting.
Go Easter Egg Hunting
Bethesda loves to give us expansive worlds to play in, filled with tiny details you only see if you occasionally stop and smell the flowers. These little Easter Eggs are scattered and easy to miss if you are speeding through quests like a galactic madman.
Explore the cities and other areas in the main game before moving on to the DLC. Give yourself time to listen to every little quirky NPC dialogue and all those tiny features designed just for gamers like you. Have you visited the ancient landmarks on the since-deserted Earth yet? Or have you found every plushie and old Earth paperback book? See how many you can discover before Shattered Space is here.
Of course, no one knows what the Shattered Space expansion has in store for us yet. Whatever it is, you will undoubtedly want to be the fittest, strongest, and best informed you can be. Explore every inch of lore, get all the gear you want, and be ready for a brand-new Starfield adventure.
