Starfield’s Biggest Update Yet is Out Now, Patch Notes Revealed

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Bethesda recently launched Update 1.16.236 for Starfield, also known as the Free Lanes update. Starfield came out in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X/S, letting players explore a vast open-world adventure in space. While the game received good reviews and sold well, it hasn’t maintained the long-term popularity of other Bethesda titles like Skyrim and Fallout 4. Despite this, Bethesda continues to support the game with regular updates and significant new content.

Around a year after its release, Starfield received its first expansion, Shattered Space, which added new characters and locations for players to discover. While reviews were mixed, Bethesda quickly began developing a second paid expansion alongside a significant free update called Free Lanes. Both are now available.

The latest free update for Starfield, called Free Lanes, is available now! It introduces a major change to space travel, letting you freely explore the vastness of space instead of just instantly jumping between locations. Along with this, players can enjoy a host of new content, including upgrades for their ships and outposts, new weapons and enemies, a database for lore, a new vehicle called the Moon Jumper, a new house to own, and even a new crew member. Plus, there are new dungeons and points of interest to discover, along with various bug fixes and improvements. Many are calling this the largest update Starfield has received so far, and it could entice players who stopped playing to return.

If you’re planning to revisit Starfield, the Terran Armada expansion will give you a lot more to do. It adds a brand new story and introduces robotic enemies, making your next playthrough even more diverse and engaging.

Starfield is Now on PS5

A major update for Starfield is now available for PC and Xbox Series X/S owners, but PlayStation 5 players are getting the game with the update already included. Starfield has launched on PS5 almost three years after its initial release on other platforms. With PS5 players starting with all the new features and improvements, it will be interesting to see if they have a more positive experience with the game.

This update will probably be the last big one for Starfield. Most of the Bethesda team is now focused on The Elder Scrolls 6, meaning significant new content for Starfield is unlikely. However, with the new Terran Armada expansion and the large Free Lanes update, Starfield is finishing strong.

Starfield Update 1.16.236 Patch Notes

Features

  • Free Lanes: The player can now use cruise mode to travel in open space or to POI locations between planets inside a star system.
  • Added X-Tech crafting support to Weapons and Armor. This allows players to further customize the legendary effects on their equipment.
  • Added Additional Quality Tiers to weapons and suits.
  • Added Rank 4 Legendary effects for weapons and suits.
  • Added Upgrade modules. These can be installed to improve one attribute of a weapon or Suit.
  • Added New weapon skins that can be applied to select weapons at a workbench.
  • Added a buildable ship optimization terminal. The player can spend X-Tech to improve several attributes of their ship.
  • Added Ship Equipment schematics. This new equipment can be added in the ship builder after it is discovered.
  • Added Legendary Enemy Modifiers. Legendary enemies can now appear with new modifiers that make them more challenging.
  • Added Legendary Enemy Modifiers settings into Gameplay Options, so players can adjust when they start appearing.
  • Added Quantum Entanglement Device. This gives players the ability to transfer some items when they choose to go through the Unity.
  • Starborn Powers can now be upgraded with Quantum Essence.
  • Quantum Essence can now be added to the Favorites menu to for quick access.
  • Starborn ships now reward the player with Quantum Essence when destroyed.
  • Added the Database menu which allows for better location, resource, and recipe tracking based on character’s knowledge of the Settled Systems.
  • Added Outpost Quality of life improvements such as a Shared Outpost Container (allowing players to house and access inventory from various outpost locations), Production Rate information, and a more precise placement mode.
  • New vehicle: Moon Jumper.
  • Added new Player House – “Château des Étoiles”.
  • Added Colony Wars Action Heroes which provide benefits when found.
  • Added Colony War Action Heroes display cases as buildable objects.
  • Muria Siarkiewicz is now available to join player crew.
  • Added an additional 3rd person Ship Camera distance that allows more of the ship to be visible.
  • Added Always Show Landing Camera setting for those who want to see their ship land at known locations.
  • Added Anchorpoint Station, a new POI that can be found in the Algorab system.
  • Added New Dungeons, Space Encounters, and Points of Interest throughout the game.
  • Adjusted the distribution and cooldown timers for placement of points of interest on Planets.
  • Added additional photomode poses for the Rev-8.
  • Terran Armada DLC Now Available.

General

  • Steam – Disabled DLC will no longer re-install when launching the game.
  • General crash and stability fixes.

Gameplay

  • Improved loot found in containers with Expert and Master level locks.
  • Reactive Equipment – Resolved an issue with the sound effects for the Reactive legendary effect.
  • Addressed an issue that could cause NPCs to calculate weapon damage inconsistently.
  • Fixed an issue with CombaTech magazine accuracy bonuses not applying consistently.
  • The player can now jump while reloading the XM-2311, Old Earth Pistol, and Livingstone’s Pistol.
  • Bounty targets in cities should now be properly interactable.
  • Resolved an issue that could potentially cause non-combat background music to no longer play.
  • Photo Mode – Addressed an issue that could cause issues when entering photomode while also entering an interior.
  • Photo Mode – Addressed an issue that could cause the player’s right foot to display awkwardly.

Quests

  • Friends Like These – Players should now be able to return the Terrormorph data at the end of the quest.
  • Guilty Parties – Addressed an issue where this quest could possibly not start after completing “Background Checks”.
  • Missed Beyond Measure – Addressed an issue that could cause the player to be locked with an invalid companion.
  • One Giant Leap – The player’s helmet should now be visible.
  • Refurbished Goods – All weapons required by the quest should now be able to be found.
  • Refurbished Goods – Turning in this quest will no longer take incorrect items from the player’s inventory.
  • The Hammer Falls – Addressed an issue that could cause the player to not receive the Star Eagle ship upon completion.
  • Two Tales, Two Cities – Addressed a situation where the player could potentially be control locked if choosing to arrest Tahir.

Locations

  • Resolved an issue that could cause some beds in Akila City to not grant Rested Bonus as intended.
  • Characters should now correctly sit in chairs in the Explorer’s Refuge.

UI

  • Improved and issue that could make Weapons Workbenches difficult to place in houses or ships.
  • Added visual improvements to the Ship Repair UI.
  • Ship Builder – Addressed an issue that could prevent unique or stolen ships from being renamed.
  • Ship Builder – Resolved an issue that could cause a duplicate model of a ship to persist on the landing pad after modifying it.
  • Ship Builder – Hopetech All-In-One Berth 2×2 furnished version is now accessible in game.
  • Ship Builder – Improvements to UI in Large Font Mode.
  • Outpost – Improvements to UI in Large Font mode.
  • Players can now use the escape key to back out of renaming an item in a workbench. (PC)
  • Fixed a typo with the Scan Jammer’s description.

Shattered Space

  • The Oracle has updated music.

Creations

  • A Perfect Recipe: Resolved an issue that could prevent the Ashta from spawning.
  • Updated the description for Plushie Andreja.
  • At Hell’s Gate: Plushies can now be placed in Plushie cases.
  • The “Plushie Case – Mount” can now be placed closer to the “Plushie Case – Stackable” variant.
  • Allied Winter Camo Skins will now show up on the Creation menu when installed.

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2026-04-07 22:37