In 2023, Bethesda Game Studios and Xbox released their third Bethesda RPG tentpole, Starfield. Now, 2026 appears to be a new big year for Bethesda’s youngest franchise with the Free Lanes and Terran Armada updates. The team behind The Elder Scrolls and Fallout is taking us back to the final frontier and the Settled Systems for even more space-y adventures. We got an early look at what’s to come, and the coming update is, simply put, exactly what Starfield was missing.
Firstly, one update is much more massive than the other. Terran Armada is the second side of 2024’s Shattered Space DLC. A new threat has appeared, and with it, the Settled Systems are not nearly as safe. This one was described as having more of a galactic feel while delivering a new story experience. Plus, the DLC adds a new threat that will be a new occurrence when you’re flying through space. It also comes with new, harder enemies, better weapons, and more. But Terran Armada pales in comparison to the Free Lanes.
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Free Lanes is a massive overhaul to Starfield’s mechanics.
The Free Lanes update is a massive overhaul to many of Starfield‘s mechanics. Think of this update not as a new revival of the game, but rather, it’s what one may expect in a remaster or “final mix” version. Just as the name implies, Free Lanes’ primary focus is space. It fills all the space between planets with a new, ever-expanding playable playground to explore. Whereas before, when you needed to jump through space via loading screens, you can now fly on your own volition from planet to planet.
In other words, the loading screens have essentially been removed when flying through space. Ships now will have a multi-speed cruise control function that can be triggered whenever you want. Flying through the emptiness between planets isn’t the only change.
New events and anomalies will pop up as you fly from planet to planet. Engaging with them is your choice. And if you do engage to interact with one, the transition between cruising to normal ship controls in a more limited area is pretty darn seamless. You can even be attacked and forced to defend yourself while flying around.
The new Starfield updates really allow you to role-play living in space.
This update finally delivers on the idea of living your life in space. In other words, the RPG will now allow you to find new ways to roleplay in space. This includes, as well, being able to explore your ship while flying around. Get upgrades, work with your crew, eat—do whatever you want as your ship flies you around.
A new resource is also being added, one that adds a new layer of customization to every equippable item. X-Tech is a new resource being added that lets you customize your guns, armor, and even the ship with game-changing abilities. Like for a weapon, you can add a new legendary mod that lets you heal when you deal damage. What’s great about this system is that, while at first X-Tech upgrades are random, after purchasing five legendary mod rolls, you can just pick which mod you want.
Similarly, all gear will receive additional quality levels that can be upgraded at any time. So your best weapons and armor can get even stronger. Ships, as mentioned before, are evolving to match the tech of the starborn via X-Tech. One upgrade that was highlighted lets your ship turn invisible while boosting. Another was a new “EM Pulse Shield” that emits an EMP burst to knock out enemy ship systems in combat.
Starfield will now have a collectible called Colony War Action Heroes.
Exploration on planets is also evolving, not just space exploration. With new POIs, new random events, and a new planet-side vehicle called the “Moon Jumper,” exploring the more computer-generated parts of Starfield should be more rewarding. particularly when you tack on a sorely missed feature, collectible upgrade figures.
Like Fallout and its bobbleheads, Starfield will now have a similar collectible called Colony War Action Heroes. There are 27 in total that reward you with a buff upon discovery. But what makes them really awesome is how they really are action figures, complete with a customizable playset and display case for in and out of the box storage.
A new end-game aspirational goal has also been added via an Asteroid Space Base you can buy with credits. This is a fully customizable base in space. It comes with multiple levels you can decorate and is like a home away from all your other outposts. To give a sense of the level of customization, the one shown off during the preview event looked almost like an evil villain’s lair.
Starfield’s Free Lanes and Terran Armada updates will breathe new life into Bethesda’s newest RPG series.
Along with evolutions to weapon and armor modifications, enemies will also get tougher. Enemies can now spawn in with modifiers, like more damage, can dash around faster, etc. Plus, we were told this feature is also highly customizable from an accessibility standpoint. Like within the settings, you can set how often and even how many of these modified foes appear.
Finally, there were the Starborn changes. One of the most unique aspects of Starfield was the ability to essentially start over with new powers in an alternate reality. It also came with its own level of friction as you left stuff behind each time. This will not be nearly as much of an issue now with the Quantum Entanglement Device, a storage box that you can place most items and weapons in to pick up after you go through the Unity again.
Additionally, Starborn powers can now be equipped with quantum essences, another currency earned by taking down other Starborn. This will save loads of time with hunting down all the different power locations to get just one more rank up for each one. Now, with enough farming, you can get god-like powers without having to go through the Unity and finding all 20+ locations over ten times.
Starfield‘s Free Lanes and Terran Armada updates will breathe new life into Bethesda’s newest RPG series. It will give much more levity, player expression, and complexity to an already deep RPG experience. What makes these updates great is that they don’t force you to interact with all the overhauled aspects of the game. They are just making them available to you so you can live your space adventure in even more ways than before. Bethesda has listened. And whatever else they decide to add will really just be icing on the cake now.
Starfield’s Free Lanes update and Terran Armada DLC will be available on April 7th on Xbox Series X|S, PC, as well as a new PlayStation 5 version.
