What happened to Earth in Starfield?

Bethesda's latest universe, Starfield, is centered around the year 2330 and the settled systems, a series of star systems that humanity claims as its own. Nonetheless, let's shift focus to the birthplace of humanity and its unfortunate destiny on Earth. It's only logical that among the thousands of planets available for exploration in the game, players would be curious about the origin of one.

Starfield has quite an interesting story to tell about Earth. In this article, we explore the history behind it.

---

Starfield's planet Earth's history explored

In Starfield's main quest, there's a prompt to visit Mars' mining settlement, Cydonia, in the Sol System. The intriguing part is that some characters claim that Mars is presently the finest planet in this system.

This quest mainly concerns Mars but also lets players venture to the moon and Earth. Albeit, this isn't precisely the Earth we know.

In the city of New Atlantis lies the Mast Building, home to a petite museum that offers an insight into Earth's past and present. To activate the display, you can opt to listen to a voiceover announcer that will initiate with the press of a button. A narrator will say:

"In 2150, humanity learned the Earth's magnetosphere would collapse sometime in the next half-century, eliminating all life on the planet."

A magnetosphere is a region around a planet comprised of the planet's magnetic field. In the case of Earth, it is what allows the planet to remain habitable by blocking out solar and cosmic radiation.

The United Colonies were established to give humanity a fresh start amidst the possibility of complete annihilation and potential extinction. Humans were able to flee successfully and establish New Atlantis on Jemison, leading the way for subsequent settlements, including Akila and Neon.

Some individuals sought adventure as wanderers or pirates, while others opted for a more settled lifestyle in one of the various cities.

Lead, iron, and water, among other minerals and materials, can all be spotted across Earth when scanned from orbit. Although the continents appear faintly visible from space, the planet resembles a desolate and uninhabitable landscape.

Scanning the anomalies at any of these locations will reveal Earth's trait: Solar Storm Seasons. Radiation-free nights offer a safe travel time, while the lack of magnetosphere during daylight hours leaves you vulnerable to radiation harm. Earth's gravity remains unaffected. However, the temperature now reaches a frigid -1° Celsius.

TL;DR: Once a bustling hub of civilization, Earth now sits empty, awaiting your return.

---

How to visit planet Earth in Starfield

During the game's second mission, 'The Old Neighbourhood,' players have the option to visit Earth early. The catch is that the journey requires sufficient fuel for the ship, which varies depending on the distance from the Sol system.

Follow the steps below to visit the Earth in Starfield:

1. Open the Starmap.
2. Zoom out to view the star system properly.
3. Locate Sol and find Earth there.
4. Hold the "Jump" button to reach Earth.
5. Select "Set Landing Target" on any point of Earth's surface while zoomed in.
6. Finally, your ship will land on Earth.

While Earth's population seems to have dropped to zero, that can be changed. Like any other planet, you can explore it, collect materials, and set up outposts, bringing your crew along.