Once you start your journey in Starfield, you will come across a lot of factions that you join. This will make you which ones to join and which ones to avoid. We have some good news for you in this regard. You can join all the factions in a single playthrough in the game. However, this all refers to 5 major factions. The rest of the factions can’t be joined. For your ease of mind, we have ranked these factions in the order of their awesomeness in Starfield.
Like the rest of Bethesda games, Starfield offers a multitude of factions with each having their own agendas and rules. Some factions believe in upholding the laws while others are notorious space pirates. Each faction offers its unique quest line that you must complete to enlist. Successfully joining a faction unlocks a multitude of rewards and possibilities to recruit new members.
In this guide, we will rank all the factions, so you have a much simpler time deciding what to choose first.
1. Constellation
Constellation is the biggest faction in Starfield and the first one in our ranked list. After completing One Small Step and reaching The Lodge, talk to Sarah and start “The Old Neighborhood” quest. Once you complete this quest, you can recruit Sarah as a companion and officially join the Constellation faction.
Joining Constellation doesn’t offer any unique rewards. However, all romanceable characters in Starfield belong to the Constellation faction. It also allows you to solve the mystery of artifacts and complete the main quest of the game. The best reward in our opinion is the unveiling of the secrets of the universe and access to New Game+.
2. United Colonies
One of the most powerful factions in the universe and highly ranked on our tier list, the United Colonies control all the military power in the universe. They control most of the tactical points in the form of planets including the complete Sol system. To join the United Colonies faction in the game, you need to travel to MAST and talk to Tuala. They will offer you a Vanguard piloting exam that you must complete successfully.
Once you become a United Colonies Vanguard, you will automatically join their faction. Joining the United Colonies in Starfield results in a lot of rewards. You get 250,000 credits in addition to the Vanguard armor set from the United Colonies. You also gain approvals from your romance companions and open Vigilance in the skill tree.
3. Crimson Fleet
The antithesis of the United Colonies and the known space pirates, Crimson Fleet is known for their crimson helmets and spaceships. The only way to join Crimson Fleet is by accepting their offer during “Deep Cover” main quest. To initiate this quest, simply get caught while doing any illegal activities in New Atlantis orbit.
Once you join Crimson Fleet, a plethora of rewards become available to you. These rewards include The Revenant gun, Keelhauler pistol, access to visit the capital of Crimson Fleet known as the Key and 250,000 credits.
4. Ryujin Industries
The number 4 faction on our ranked list in Starfield is Ryujin Industries. Once you reach the “Back to the Grind” quest, you will get a chance to join the Ryujin Industries faction. This faction doesn’t hold back when it comes to questionable practices and their headquarters is on Neon City on Volii Alpha planet.
Joining Ryujin Industries has its own unique rewards. These include 57,000 credits and access to Manipulate tool which allows you to control NPCs and even change their perception of reality.
5. Freestar Collective
Freestar Collective is the upholder of law and goes hard on criminal elements. They become available once you start “The Empty Nest” quest to recruit Sam Coe. Once you reach Akila City, a new quest “Job Gone Wrong” starts which makes you clear a bank full of robbers. Once you kill all the robbers, the Marshall will urge you to consider joining the Freestar Rangers. You can take him up on his offer and become a space cowboy after joining the Freestar Collective.
Joining the lowest-ranked faction on our list in Starfield still yields some great rewards. These include Ranger Justifier Pistol, Ranger Armor, and 70,000 credits.
Can you Join Multiple Factions in Starfield?
Yes, you can join multiple factions in Starfield. All five major factions; Constellation, United Colonies, Crimson Fleet, Ryujin Industries, and Freestar Collective can be joined. In fact, you can be a part of all five factions at once.
You will eventually infringe on another faction when you’re affiliated with all five, so make sure you’re being careful around the faction you want to remain loyal to.
Starfield Factions you can’t join
Apart from these five main factions, Starfield also has a multitude of minor factions littered throughout the systems. You can not join them, but you can interact with them and do missions with them. These minor factions include:
Spacers
Spacers are criminals that operate throughout the galaxy. They target settled systems and have a penchant for violence and plundering. They aren’t as organized as some of the other factions and you’ll mainly find them in Nova Galactic Staryard in Sol, Research Outpost U3-09, in Altair, and at the Almagest in Olympus.
Ecliptic Mercenaries
Used as guns for hire, the Ecliptic Mercenaries are an elusive band of space mercs that do not have a set place of residence. They are often found in the settled systems and work as hitmen hired by other factions in Starfield.
House Va’ruun
House Va’ruun is a religious faction in Starfield. (one of three) Members of this faction are mainly found in the Sol system. After a long religious war that eventually led to the impeachment of their leader, when you start the game, House Va’ruun has all but disappeared apart from an embassy in New Atlantis. You can choose to be a member of this religion/faction by selecting the Raised Serpent trait during character creation.
House of the Enlightened
Like House Var’uun, the House of the Enlightened is also a religious faction. Found within the Well area of Net Atlantis, House of the Enlightened. They have a fairly meager appearance in Starfield and not much of a presence outside of their headquarters in the Well. You can choose to be a member of this religion/faction by selecting the Raised Enlightened trait during character creation.
Sanctum Universum
The last of three religious factions in the Starfield universe, Sanctum Universum was born out of the House of Va’ruun and the House of the Enlightened. Despite being the newest religion in the universe it is also the most popular. This religion believes that God exists somewhere in the universe. You can choose to be a member of this religion/faction by selecting the Raised Universal trait during character creation.
Trackers
The Trackers are a collective of bounty hunters in Starfield. They are mainly found in the Cheyenne System and when you come across them, they’ll be hostile. Trackers’ mission terminals often post bounty-hunting jobs for you to do in the game. Completing them gives you rewards, mostly in the form of credits.
The Trade Authority
The seventh and final minor faction in Starfield is The Trade Authority. The Trade Authority is often involved in the smuggling of illegal goods across planets and galaxies despite their outward appearance stating the exact opposite. They are found in the Well in New Atlantis. You can sell your smuggled and stolen goods to Trade Authority representatives.
