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Have questions about Starfield's Shattered Space story expansion? We have answers.
It's been just over a year since The Elder Scrolls and Fallout developer Bethesda Game Studios released the long-awaited space exploration RPG Starfield, and since then, the studio has steadily improved the title with technical enhancements, highly requested features, additional pieces of content, and official Creation Kit mod support. Now, though, the game is about to get its biggest shot in the arm yet: the Shattered Space story expansion. First announced way back when Starfield launched in 2023, it's now slated to drop on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC (Steam and the Microsoft Store) in less than two weeks.
The developers have been fairly tight-lipped about Shattered Space until recently, and as a result, plenty of fans have plenty of questions about the DLC. To help them out, I've rounded up the most frequently asked questions I've seen and have answered them in this article. Below, you'll find everything you need to know about Starfield: Shattered Space's release date, price, Game Pass availability, story, gameplay, and more.
What is the Starfield: Shattered Space DLC?
A House Va'ruun member in Starfield: Shattered Space. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
What is Starfield: Shattered Space?
Starfield: Shattered Space is the first of two major story expansions coming to Bethesda's sci-fi RPG, and is centered exclusively around the planet of Va'ruun'kai — the home world of and center of operations for the House Va'ruun faction. House Va'ruun worships a mysterious deity called the Great Serpent and is the third interstellar government body in the Settled Systems, but has almost completely isolated itself from the rest of the universe in the wake of its failed "Serpent's Crusade" war against humanity.
What is Starfield: Shattered Space about?
Compared to the rest of Starfield and its emphasis on exploring countless planets across the universe, Shattered Space is a deeper, more focused experience on the world of Va'ruun'kai. The plot will see players travel to the planet and investigate the fallout of a "secret experiment involving Grav Drive technology" that "went terribly wrong" and "resulted in a massive tear in the fabric of spacetime" that enveloped huge portions of the world's capital city, Dazra. Notably, the Scaled Citadel — the seat of power for House Va'ruun and its government — was caught in this tear, and still is by the time Shattered Space begins.
Over the course of the DLC, you'll interact and work with the survivors of this "vortex incident," attempt to learn what happened to House Va'ruun's leader Anasko Va'ruun, and encounter minor factions within the organization aiming to take it over in the disaster's aftermath. One such group is the Zealots, a band of ruthless Va'ruun fighters that want to start a second Serpent's Crusade.
While more granular details about the story aren't known right now, Bethesda has said that "you'll learn the truth of what happened, become entangled in the political feud between the minor houses, and ultimately decide the fate of House Va'ruun — a fate that could affect the rest of the Settled Systems."
When does Starfield: Shattered Space take place?
The Shattered Space expansion takes place concurrently with the story of Starfield's base game in the year 2330, and "a few weeks" after the incident that devastated House Va'ruun's leadership and the Va'ruun'kai populace.
When is Starfield: Shattered Space's release date?
Both the world of Va'ruun'kai and Starfield: Shattered Space as a whole seem much darker than the rest of
the game — both visually and thematically. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
The Starfield: Shattered Space DLC is officially scheduled to launch on September 30, 2024 on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC. The expansion's release date was confirmed in the trailer for the game's REV-8 rover vehicle, though at the time of writing, we don't know what its specific launch time will be. Based on previous update releases, though, it could go live around 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET.
How much does Starfield: Shattered Space cost?
Solar turbines on Va'ruun'kai in Starfield: Shattered Space. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
Since it's only an expansion and not a full new game, Starfield: Shattered Space costs significantly less than the base version of the space exploration RPG does. Specifically, it's priced at $29.99, and can be preordered now on all of Starfield's platforms. Keep in mind that because it's a DLC, you'll need to own Starfield before you can buy and play Shattered Space.
Something important to note is that if you play Starfield on Valve's PC gaming platform Steam, you can take advantage of a cool CDKeys discount (read our CDKeys FAQ for more on the retailer and why we recommend it) that knocks the cost of preordering the expansion down to $27.69. Admittedly, you're only shaving a few dollars off your purchase with that deal, but hey — it's the only one available for the DLC at the moment, so there's no reason to turn your nose up.
Is Starfield: Shattered Space free for Premium Edition owners?
While you'll need to purchase Shattered Space standalone if you have Starfield's base game, players who bought the Premium Edition will get access to the DLC as soon as it releases. That's because it's included in that version of the game, along with several other goodies like the Constellation skin pack and a digital soundtrack and art book.
Base game owners can spend $35 ($28.89 on the Steam version with this deal) to upgrade to the Premium Edition if they want Shattered Space and the other extras it gives, or they can opt to just buy the expansion. If you don't already have Starfield and want to get it and the DLC, though, your best option is to simply buy the Premium Edition. It's got an MSRP of $99.99, but you can get the Steam version for just $68.59 at CDKeys right now thanks to an amazing markdown. The Xbox one is also $94.99 at CDKeys — a much smaller discount, but a discount nonetheless.
Is Starfield: Shattered Space on Xbox Game Pass?
You'll be able to use Starfield's REV-8 rover vehicle in Shattered Space. (Image credit: Bethesda | Microsoft)
Since Bethesda Game Studios is now a first-party Xbox developer and Starfield itself is playable through Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, it would be fair to assume that the Shattered Space expansion will be made available on it as well. However, this actually isn't the case, as only Starfield's base edition is included with subscriptions to the buffet-style gaming service. That means you're not getting the benefits of Starfield's Premium Edition — and thus, access to Shattered Space — through Xbox Game Pass Standard, PC Game Pass, or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
The good news, though, is that Game Pass does enable you to get the $34.99 Premium Edition upgrade or Shattered Space itself without paying for Starfield's base game on Xbox (Game Pass Standard, Ultimate) or the Microsoft Store on PC (PC Game Pass, UItimate). Therefore, you should absolutely take advantage of that if you're subscribed to Microsoft's service.
What are Starfield: Shattered Space's gameplay features?
House Va'ruun members praying in Starfield: Shattered Space. (Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)
In terms of gameplay, Bethesda has said that players can look forward to "over 50 new locations to discover and explore across Va'ruun'kai," along with "formidable new enemies" and encounters with House Va'ruun Zealots, Crimson Fleet pirates, and Spacer bandits. Notably, while many of Starfield's planets are rather simplistic and were made with assistance from procedural generation, the world of Va'ruun'kai and its locations are all handcrafted and bespoke. In this way, Shattered Space sounds like it will be very similar to Bethesda's Far Harbor expansion in Fallout 4.
Va'ruun'kai has also been described as "dangerous," with players having to contend with bizarre and alien terrain, strange gravity anomalies that create pockets of zero gravity around the landscape, hostile extra-terrestrial wildlife, and other oddities. The vortex incident has also resulted in the barrier between our reality and a mysterious other dimension "breaking down," leading to the arrival of "creatures from the other side" that possess surreal, almost supernatural abilities. Overall, the vibe the developers are targeting is that "space is scary," and combat in Shattered Space will reflect that with shorter-range encounters, a more chaotic pace, and even some horror elements.
There hasn't been much said about new loot and other rewards in the DLC, but I'd say it's likely that there will be many new weapons, armors, upgrades, and other items to acquire by plundering fallen foes, raiding their dens, and completing quests. One thing we know is coming is a suite of new grenades that you'll be able to craft using a harvestable organic material, but I'm sure there will be new firearms, melee armaments, and more, too.
How big is the Starfield: Shattered Space DLC?
While Bethesda hasn't given any details about the specific size of Shattered Space and Va'ruun'kai beyond confirming over 50 separate locations, that fact alone confirms that it's far, far larger and deeper than the rest of the game's destinations. It's unlikely we'll learn precisely how expansive its map is until the expansion releases, though.
How long is the Starfield: Shattered Space DLC?
The developers also haven't revealed an estimated playthrough length for the Shattered Space DLC, but if it's comparable to Fallout 4's Far Harbor, I'd expect an 8-10 hour runtime if you solely focus on the main quest. Bethesda's open-world experiences are generally best enjoyed exploring, however, and you're sure to get much more playtime out of the expansion if you head off the beaten path.
Starfield: Shattered Space trailers and deep dive
Here's the official trailer for Starfield: Shattered Space, along with an official deep dive from Bethesda that revealed much of what players can expect from the DLC.
Starfield: Shattered Space is scheduled to release on September 30, 2024, and is poised to make one of the best Xbox games and best PC games even better. It's particularly exciting for fans of deeper worlds instead of broader ones, as Va'ruun'kai seems to have more depth than most of Starfield's other locations.
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