Bethesda dropped the Free Lanes update for Starfield this week, and it lands on all platforms including PlayStation 5 for the first time. The update is free for all players, though it comes bundled alongside the paid Terran Armada expansion, and the two pieces of content are so intertwined it's nearly impossible to talk about one without the other.
What the Terran Armada expansion actually adds
Terran Armada costs $10 for players who don't own the Premium Edition, and it functions as a full expansion in the same vein as Shattered Space from 2024. There's a new questline, fresh characters, new crewmates to recruit, and over a dozen hours of content to work through if you stay on the critical path. Explore everything and that number climbs considerably.
The expansion's central hub is Anchorpoint, a sprawling space station located in the Algorab system. It's packed with NPCs, vendors, and side quests, but getting there requires a ship equipped with a 27 LY Grav Drive. If your current build falls short, you'll need to upgrade before making the trip.
danger
You need a ship with a 27 LY Grav Drive to reach Anchorpoint. Check your ship stats before heading to the Algorab system or you won't be able to jump there.
Gear gets a serious overhaul with X-Tech
The Free Lanes update overhauled Starfield's gear systems in a meaningful way. Nearly two dozen new weapons and several new armor sets are now scattered across the universe, but the bigger change is X-Tech, a new crafting material that feeds into a brand-new legendary modifier system.
Here's the thing: X-Tech lets you roll legendary modifiers onto weapons and armor at the workbench. You can apply modifiers to gear that has none, or re-roll existing ones if you're chasing a specific build. The catch is that X-Tech is rare. It drops from dead Terran Armada enemies and from loot found in the new expansion locations, so you won't be swimming in it early on.
The Moon Jumper changes how you explore planets
The Moon Jumper is the standout new vehicle in Free Lanes, and it makes the existing REV-8 look like a golf cart by comparison. The key difference is its boost threshold. Where the REV-8 keeps you close to the ground, the Moon Jumper can send you soaring into the sky and carry you across large distances without touching down. Think of it as a low-altitude personal aircraft rather than a conventional rover.
Finding it takes some legwork. The Moon Jumper is tied to specific new points of interest scattered across planets and moons in the Settled Systems, and you'll need to track those POIs down manually.
X-Tech legendary crafting system
Action Figures, a new house, and a pet
Bethesda also added Action Figures to Starfield, which work similarly to Fallout's Bobbleheads. These collectibles are found throughout the Settled Systems and each one grants a passive bonus when picked up. One example: the "Freestar Militia Medic" figure makes aid items heal 5% faster. You don't need to equip or activate them, but they can be displayed at your outpost or home.
Speaking of home, the Chateau Des Etoiles is a new purchasable mansion built across the surface of an asteroid. It costs a significant amount of credits and requires meaningful story progress to unlock, but it's the most elaborate housing option in the game. Acquired through Anchorpoint, it also comes with a companion creature called the Milliwhale, a strange little pet you pick up after completing a side quest on the station.
Cruise Control finally lets you actually fly your ship
The most community-requested addition in Free Lanes is Cruise Control, and it delivers on the premise. Players have wanted manual ship travel for years, frustrated that flying anywhere meaningful meant either fast traveling or waiting an unrealistic amount of real time.
Cruise Control lets you fly to a destination at high speed with autopilot engaged. Once autopilot is on, you can leave the captain's chair entirely. Walk around the ship, talk to your crew, sort your inventory, all while the ship handles navigation. Random events can trigger during the journey too, flagging passing ships, unusual locations, or enemy encounters.
For players who've always wanted Starfield to feel more like an actual space sim, this is the update they've been waiting for. Browse gaming news and the latest updates to stay across everything else dropping in the Settled Systems, and check out the latest reviews if you're weighing whether to jump into the Terran Armada expansion.
