Bethesda and Microsoft shared the official Starfield timeline of events leading up to the game’s beginning on its official website. The timeline starts in 2050. That’s when, in the series’ universe, people first landed on Mars. From there, it covers 278 years worth of history leading up to our joining Constellation and heading out on our own journey.
The Starfield timeline tends to focus on two things. The first is the history of space travel and colonization. It goes over the two major groups that form, the United Colonies and Freestar Collective. Due to their conflicting goals, this leads to wars between the two. It also shows the foundation of Constellation and appearances of its founding members. This means we also see how various wars in space lead to certain people joining Constellation.
Here’s the full timeline Bethesda created, as taken from the official Starfield website.
- 2050: Humans first arrive on Mars.
- 2100: Humans are living in space.
- 2156: Humans arrive in Alpha Centauri (4.37 light years away from Earth).
- 2159: The United Colonies are established.
- 2160: New Atlantis is founded and becomes the official capital city of the United Colonies in 2161
- 2167: Cheyenne is settled by Solomon Coe, who founds its first settlement, Akila City.
- 2188: Coe invites Volii to join Cheyenne in a new alliance — The Freestar Collective.
- 2189: The Freestar Collective is officially formed.
- 2194: The United Colonies positions the star station called the Clinic in orbit around Deepala in the Narion system. The unaffiliated peoples of the Narion system see this as a UC attempt to expand their borders and demand the UC remove the Clinic. When the UC refuses, the people of Narion vote to join the Freestar Collective, who mobilize to protect the system in 2195
- 2196: In response to Freestar mobilization, the UC moves a fleet into the Narion system and Freestar responds in kind. The Narion War begins.
- 2216: The Narion War drags on as public sentiment sours. Finally, the Treaty of Narion is signed by the UC and Freestar Collective in 2216, ending the conflict. The term “Settled Systems” is formalized in the treaty.
- 2221: The Freestar Rangers are founded as an elite protective and investigative force dedicated to serving all citizens of the Freestar Collective.
- 2275: Constellation is formed by Sebastian Banks. Original members include Chloe Bao, accomplished physicist; Aja mamasa, the youngest member and Sebastian’s protege; Darius Andris, botanist and specialist in xeno-flora; Bernadette Laurent, wealthy heiress and adventurer; Everado Gil, former smuggler; and Kadri Toma, biologist and physician. The Lodge is built in New Atlantis to serve the needs and people of Constellation for generations to come
- 2305: Barrett joins Constellation
- 2307: The Freestar Collective begins farming on the planet of Vesta in the Lunara system. By 2308 the United Colonies claims that by establishing a colony in a fourth star system, the Freestar Collective has violated the Treaty of Narion. Diplomatic talks break down and the UC lays siege to Vesta, killing anyone who stayed behind (or was brought in) to defend it. The Colony War officially begins.
- 2310: Constellation comes into possession fo their first Artifact and tucks it away in the Constellation archives.
- 2311: After several years of conflict, the Colony War effectively comes to an end with the Battle of Cheyenne as a flotilla of civilian and military Freestar Collective ships takes down the major ships of the UC Navy using hit-and-run tactics.
- 2315: The UC Vanguard is founded as part of a UC response to the Freestar Collective’s use of civilian ships during the Colony War. The Vanguard is the UC’s own civilian navy, relying on civilians using their own ships, who pledged to protect the United Colonies and its interests. The ultimate reward for this service: citizenship in the United Colonies.
- 2319: Sarah Morgan becomes the youngest head of the UC Navigator Corps, though it’s a short-lived position as the division is shut down in 2320. Cast adrift, but still eager to put her training to good use, Morgan joins Constellation.
- 2321: Walter Stroud — co-owner of Stroud-Ecklund, one of the Settled Systems’ premier starship manufacturers — joins Constellation and becomes its primary financial backer.
- 2322: Former Crimson Fleet pirate Vladimir Sall joins Constellation.
- 2325: Sarah Morgan becomes acting Chair of Constellation.
- 2325:Theologian Matteo Khatri joins Constellation.
- 2326: Barrett finds the original Artifact in the Constellation archives and knows it must be special.
- 2326: After months of correspondence with Sarah Morgan, graduate student and gifted scientist Noel is invited to join Constellation.
- 2327: Freestar Ranger Sam Coe and his daughter Cora join Constellation.
- 2328: Andreja joins Constellation. Barrett convinces Constellation to purchase Starstation L-869 and modify it to become a deep space scanner, nicknamed “The Eye.”
The most active and detailed part of the Starfield timeline comes up after 2300, with major Constellation moments happening then. It also seems like many of the people who joined in recent years are ones we may encounter in-game.
This is the second recent announcement tied to the game. We also recently saw a Starfield jacket with Constellation and Flight Crew patches appear.
Starfield will release on September 6, 2023 for the both the PC and Xbox Series X, and a Constellation collector’s edition is available.
