Do You Need To Have Finished Starfield To Play the DLC?

The upcoming Shattered Space DLC for Starfield is one of Bethesda’s biggest and most ambitious expansions yet.

Rather than double down on the game’s USP of having thousands of ‘unique’ procedurally generated planets, the team has decided to go back to its roots, as the new DLC centers completely around one planet, all with handcrafted quests, new locations, items, NPCs, missions, and more.

After hearing about what the DLC has to offer, many players have been thinking about diving back into the game or giving it a shot for the first time. However, one pressing question lingers in everyone’s minds: Do you need to finish Starfield to play Shattered Space?

This guide will answer your questions and others concerning the upcoming DLC, so strap in!

Do You Need to Finish Starfield to Play Shattered Space?

Bethesda has been all hush-hush about this aspect of the DLC. While we can’t give you a steady answer, if we look at the studio’s history, the Starfield DLC will likely be accessible without completing the game’s main story.

This line of thinking is because of how the DLCs for the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls franchises went.

For the most part, you could access every franchise entry’s DLC without finishing the main questline. All you had to do was meet some conditions, like reaching a certain part of the main quest or crossing a particular level.

Often, these conditions were very bare minimum. Bethesda isn’t one to restrict how you play its games, letting you venture into difficult territory even if you’ve just started a new character.

Because of this, we strongly believe finishing the main questline won’t be a factor in starting the DLC.

It’s more likely that you’ll have to be a certain level or need to finish the main quest until traveling to the homeworld of House Va’ruun is unlocked.

Therefore, we suggest you check out some of our Starfield guides, like how to level up quickly, so that you can access the DLC as early as possible.

What to Expect From the Shattered Space DLC Story

According to the studio, the entire DLC will take place in the homeland of the House Va’ruun. The new location is fully handcrafted, and the storyline goes into the mysteries of the followers of the Great Serpent.

Players’ first introduction likely came through the UC Vanguard museum, where they learned about the Serpent’s Crusade—an event that paints House Va’ruun as a fanatical religious cult. The DLC shows a different side of this faction.

Upon arriving on the planet Va’ruun’kai, players find the capital city, Dazra, in turmoil. A massive vortex has recently torn through the area, swallowing large parts of the city.

The locals are searching for missing loved ones and trying to rebuild, but they aren’t exactly happy about the player’s arrival.

The expansion’s story focuses on uncovering the truth behind this mysterious vortex, what happened to those who disappeared, and who will now lead the people of House Va’ruun. It’s up to you to figure out what’s going on, and your actions will shape the fate of House Va’ruun.

Are you looking forward to the upcoming DLC? What do you hope the expansion brings to the table? Let us know in the comments below!