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

Bethesda has released Update 1.16.236 for Starfield, aka the Free Lanes update. Starfield was first released in 2023 on PC and Xbox Series X/S, giving fans the chance to experience an open world Bethesda adventure in the massive expanse of space. Starfield enjoyed strong reviews and sales, but it hasn’t had the staying power of other Bethesda games like Skyrim and Fallout 4. Still, that hasn’t stopped Bethesda from regularly updating the game and releasing substantial new content for it over time.

About a year after Starfield launched, Bethesda released the Shattered Space DLC for the game, giving players new characters to interact with and places to explore. Shattered Space received mixed reviews, but that didn’t deter Bethesda. Bethesda has been working hard on a second Starfield paid expansion coinciding with a brand-new Free Lanes update, with both out now.

Starfield Leaked for Yet Another Console

In the wake of its long-awaited PlayStation 5 announcement, Bethesda’s Starfield faces further rumors of a release on another platform.

The new Starfield Free Lanes update is available to download right now. The big new feature is the ability to travel in open space instead of simply warping from place to place like how space travel has worked in the game up until this point. Starfield players can also enjoy new upgrade modules, weapon skins, schematics, enemy modifiers, a Database menu, outpost quality-of-life improvements, the Moon Jumper vehicle, a new house, a new crewmember, new dungeons and POIs, bug fixes, and a lot more. It’s being called the biggest Starfield update yet, and it will be interesting to see if it brings lapsed players back to the game.

Those willing to purchase the Terran Armada expansion will have even more to do if they decide to jump back into Starfield. The Terran Armada introduces new robot enemies to the mix along with a significant new storyline, so it should add even more variety to any given Starfield playthrough.

Starfield is Now on PS5

Starfield‘s big new update is available right now for longtime PC and Xbox Series X/S players to download. PS5 gamers, meanwhile, get to experience it all from the jump. Starfield has finally made its PS5 debut, nearly three years after the game was first released on other platforms. Since Starfield PS5 players get all this extra content and quality-of-life features from the jump, one has to wonder if the game will be better-received by players on that platform.

In any case, this will likely be the last truly major update for Starfield. Most of Bethesda is currently working on The Elder Scrolls 6, and so it’s unlikely that too much more will be made for Bethesda’s massive open world sci-fi game. But between the new Terran Armada expansion and the huge Free Lanes update, at least Starfield is going out with a bang.

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.

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.