Summary
Starfield offers a variety of factions for players to join, and it isn’t immediately obvious whether all of them can be joined in the same playthrough. The enmity between UC Vanguard and the Crimson Fleet, for example, makes it seem that the two could easily be mutually exclusive. Factions offer interesting stories and provide quests to complete, making the prospect of being potentially locked out of one faction for choosing to join another seem somewhat daunting.
Factions in Starfield come in a number of different forms. Religious factions are one subset that the player can associate with by choosing a religious background in character creation, but there’s no way to officially sign up for these groups during the course of a game. A total of five factions can officially be joined — Constellation, Crimson Fleet, Freestar Collective, Ryujin Industries, and United Colonies. Starborn and Xenofresh Corporation are also considered major factions in the same vein as these five, but although it’s possible to interact with them and other factions in the game, it’s not possible to join either of the two.
You Can Join Every Faction In Starfield
Luckily, there’s no need to worry about FOMO when joining up with factions in Starfield. Even factions with contradictory views and goals can be joined simultaneously, and it’s possible to be a member of all five relevant factions at the same time. Taking this approach will grant access to the most quests and narrative elements, so those with an affinity for completing side content shouldn’t hesitate to flesh out their resume with some multitasking. This freedom recalls the similar approach taken in Skyrim, where the Dragonborn could join a variety of different groups without shared interests.
Starfield Factions Can Eventually Contradict
Matters get a little more complicated when pursuing quests related to factions later on, where acting on behalf of one can damage a relationship with the other. Although they might not take any offense at a character’s membership overlap, factions can draw the line in the same way that trying to help both the Stormcloaks and Imperials in Skyrim eventually reaches a breaking point. Following every faction’s story to its endpoint will require multiple playthroughs or branching saves, offering an interesting avenue to explore after completing the main story for the first time for anyone with a completionist bend.
Exploring every option is a good idea early on in Starfield, making it possible to get a good handle on the interesting ideas and opportunities that each one presents. There’s ultimately no downside to taking this approach, with any potential conflicts emerging later and merely forcing an eventual choice. Starfield is about discovering everything that a galaxy has to offer, and meeting the key figures of each faction and taking on tasks is one great way to do this. Thanks to the ability to join all the factions in Starfield, it won’t take multiple playthroughs just to experience the core elements and rewards of each.
