Starfield’s long-awaited arrival on PlayStation 5 is finally here, and it’s brought with it a new “Free Lanes” game update (on all platforms) in addition to the new Terran Armada DLC, and we’ve got all the details on Starfield’s latest DLC and the 1.16.236 patch notes.
In a recent blog post detailing the game’s new content, Bethesda described the Free Lanes update as a “game-wide evolution, touching everything from space travel and late game content and progression to gear and ship customization and outpost building,” with “countless improvements in between.” In addition to the Free Lanes update (which, true to its name, is available free of charge), players can also take the game’s new DLC, Terran Armada, for a spin. Terran Armada is–according to Bethesda–“a new story packed with repeatable content and tons to discover.”
So what exactly is the Free Lanes update?
“We’ve added the ability to freely fly between planets in a star system!” the studio explained. “With Free Lanes and Cruise Mode, you’ll be able to take off in any direction, letting the Frontier guide you through the massive expanse of space.”
While Free Lanes finally allows players to fly ships from one planet to another, Cruise Mode offers the autopilot experience. In Cruise Mode, players can set their coordinates in the cockpit, then get up and explore, interact with, and even decorate their ship as it travels to its destination. In Bethesda’s words, “Everything you can do while in orbit or docked, you can now do in Cruise Mode.” This includes using the work bench, interacting with companions, and all other standard ship features. Once players reach their destination, autopilot will stop the ship so players can disembark.
But Cruise Mode isn’t just for those who want the experience of space travel without the tedium of constantly manning the cockpit.
Bethesda also added that players can discover loads of new space POIs in Cruise Mode. These POIs will appear and prompt the player to change their location to the new POI, should they so wish, or they can simply continue along their original route. The update also includes a new collectible resource: X-Tech, which can be used for–from the sounds of it–just about everything.
“This new resource will let you customize all of your weapons, gear, and even your ships even further,” Bethesda explained. “This update will be huge for players who really want that super deep customization in their gear. You’ll come across X-Tech through combat and exploration–on bosses and in chests and ship wreckage–and trust us when we say you’ll be hoarding it like credits.”
The update also makes some changes to New Game+, including a feature that allows players to bring gear from their previous playthrough into a new one. New planetary POIs have also been added, along with a new space station (including vendors and quests), new ship modules, a new planet rover, and the Starfield equivalent of Fallout’s collectible, stat-buffing Vault Boy Bobblehead: the Colony War Action Hero. There are 27 of these collectibles to find–each providing a unique buff–that can also be displayed in your outpost.
As for the Terran Armada expansion, it’s available for $10, but is free for owners of Starfield’s Premium Edition and Premium Edition Upgrade. Terran Armada sees the player facing off with a robotic army that’s determined to implement some sort of forced unity upon the Settled Systems–whether they like it or not.
The Free Lanes & Terran Armada update patch notes are listed in full below:
Update 1.16.236 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.
