Starfield Receives Flashy Lore Timeline
With Starfield releasing in just over two weeks, Bethesda has been starting the hype train with adverts, promotions, and now, even a bit of historical lore to get more people invested in the story. Beginning from 2050, this timeline of key events shows just under 300 years of space history- from the first colonization of the galaxy to the beginning of Starfield’s narrative in 2330. Bethesda has been unsurprisingly tight-lipped on the lore of their latest RPG- with only slight glimpses being seen in the couple of trailers we’ve gotten so far. Even the 30+ minute showcase exclusively for Starfield earlier this year didn’t give a lot away. As long as leaks are mostly prevented, hopefully, most people will be able to enjoy the story for one of the most anticipated RPGs ever untainted by spoilers.
If you’re worried about any potential spoilers here though, don’t be. This timeline gives very little away and has been put out there by Bethesda to give players a little glimpse into the lore of the galaxy over a few hundred years. As a result, there’s essentially nothing there that could clue you in as to the main story or side content of the game. It’s worth a look- especially since it sets up some historical figures and factions that may be confusing to fans once they jump into the game. Bethesda has often been very good at introducing players into their game worlds- but with a completely new IP, they have to do a bit more work to get people on the same wavelength in terms of the lore.
One key aspect of the timeline that has caused a lot of discussion online is the lack of a mention of Earth. We start off in 2050- where humans first arrive on Mars, and it’s said that people are living in space by 2100. We can then see that, in 2159, a new faction named ‘The United Colonies’ is established. This seems to imply that, perhaps, Earth has been left behind or evacuated in some sort of disaster. Or maybe, it’s fully habitable and still has people living down there. With no concrete proof, fans can only speculate- but the human race’s home planet is sure to have some impact on the story, however small.
The timeline also has lore-heads discussing the different factions and conflicts of the universe prior to the beginning of the game. From the Freestar Collective, Constellation, New Atlantis, United Colonies and more, there are a lot of new places for players to learn about and become familiar with. Without the previous lore constraints on series like the Elder Scrolls and Fallout, Bethesda are free to create something wholly new and original without angering fans about some retcons or discrepancies. Considering how the studio was made famous for its worldbuilding and environmental storytelling, Starfield gives the opportunity to show something entirely new and original while keeping that classic Bethesda DNA- which is something worth looking forward to.
Image by Bethesda Softworks
The most important group to note in this timeline is Constellation- which is mentioned several times. We even get a few specific members mentioned as joining the faction in the years leading up to 2330. It’s clear, then, that these individuals will have some sort of impact on the main story of Starfield. Still, this doesn’t give a lot away and allows players to take a peek into what Bethesda’s latest RPG is looking to achieve without spoiling any of the surprises. With less than three weeks until release, now is the perfect time to get hyped for Starfield- which will only be heightened by this cool interactive timeline. You can check it out yourself here.
