Starfield's Main Story Spans 19 Missions Across the Galaxy

The RPG's critical path lasts 30-40 hours, but the full game offers over 200 quests

Apr. 9, 2026 at 6:04pm

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A highly detailed, glowing 3D illustration of a futuristic starship navigating through a swirling cosmic nebula, with neon cyan and magenta lights illuminating the ship's intricate machinery and systems. The image conceptually represents the scale and technological complexity of the Starfield universe.Starfield's vast, procedurally generated galaxy provides the backdrop for an epic interstellar adventure, where players must navigate a complex web of missions and factions to uncover the game's central mysteries.Bethesda Today

Bethesda's highly anticipated sci-fi RPG Starfield features a main story campaign consisting of 19 missions that take players across the galaxy. While the core Constellation storyline forms the backbone of the experience, the game offers over 200 total quests for players to explore, including faction questlines and procedurally generated side content on more than 1,000 planets.

Why it matters

Starfield's mission structure represents Bethesda's classic open-world RPG design, allowing players to freely abandon the main questline to pursue other activities. However, the game has received mixed reviews, with players criticizing the pacing and dialogue-heavy nature of the main missions, despite strong critical reception.

The details

Each of Starfield's 19 main missions is further broken down into smaller tasks, impacting how players navigate the game's critical path. Key missions include 'One Small Step,' 'The Old Neighborhood,' 'Into the Unknown,' 'All That Money Can Buy,' and 'The Unearthed.' While the main questline lasts 30-40 hours, the full game offers over 200 quests for players to complete, including faction storylines and procedurally generated side content.

  • Starfield was released on September 6, 2023.
  • The Shattered Space DLC launched in late 2024.
  • Anchorpoint Station received guide coverage in April 2026.

The players

Bethesda

The video game developer and publisher behind Starfield and other acclaimed open-world RPGs like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series.

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What’s next

Bethesda has not confirmed any new story DLC for Starfield, but a second expansion could increase the main mission count and potentially improve player sentiment. Additionally, the game's availability on Xbox Game Pass and any future price drops on Steam may attract new players, which could affect the current 55% positive user rating.

The takeaway

Starfield's main story campaign represents Bethesda's classic open-world RPG design, but the game's mixed reception highlights the challenges of balancing a vast, exploration-driven experience with a compelling critical path. As Bethesda continues to support the game, finding the right balance between main missions and side content will be crucial to improving player satisfaction.