Set in 2330, Starfield sees players exploring a universe that’s been utterly changed by humanity moving from Earth into space. However, those who try to go to our little blue planet will find that nothing remains except massive swaths of desert that are utterly devoid of life. The experience of finding Earth in such a state is certainly jarring. Here’s what happened to Earth in Starfield according to in-game lore.
How Earth Was Destroyed in Starfield
Early in Starfield, players will arrive on New Atlantis, which is one of the most major human colonies in the universe. According to information terminals the player can find around the city, New Atlantis was founded on the planet Jemison in the 2150s, which is when humanity first arrived in the Alpha Centauri system. The United Colonies, which is an organization central to New Atlantis, was established to unite humanity while it sojourned into the stars.
If you travel to the MAST district, there’s a massive building that serves as the headquarters for the United Colonies just above the station. There’s an elevator behind the reception desk, and the bottom-most option, Vanguard Orientation Hall, takes players to a museum that reveals the fate of Earth.
According to an exhibit, humans discovered in 2150 that Earth’s magnetosphere would collapse in the next fifty years, resulting in the end of life on the planet. Humanity banded together and successfully took to the stars, with the United Colonies being a major part of that movement. In 2203, according to the aforementioned information terminal, Earth officially became uninhabitable.
Earth’s magnetosphere collapsing being the cause of the devasted world players can go to makes sense. The magnetosphere protects Earth from radiation and solar wind. When you arrive on Earth in Starfield, the game warns you that it’s radioactive, and so you need to keep your helmet on if you don’t want to die.
In the aftermath of Earth’s destruction, there were conflicts between various groups, but by the time Starfield has rolled around, things are seemingly a lot more stable. If you’re interested in learning more about the relevant factions in the Starfield universe, we’ve got a guide for that.
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