Starfield’s Unity Ending, New Game+ Was a “Weird, Deep Question” Todd Howard Wanted to Ask Players

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Despite its story issues, one of the most intriguing aspects of Starfield has always been its New Game+ feature. In a recent GamesRadar interview, the game’s director Todd Howard and lead producer Tim Lamb discussed their ambitious plans for the system and why it didn’t quite resonate with players.

Major spoilers for Starfield‘s ending below.

Towards the end of Starfield‘s main story, the mission “One Giant Leap” asks you to choose whether to join the Unity. If you do, your character becomes a Starborn and enters a new universe. This choice cleverly incorporates a New Game+ feature into the story. You keep all your progress – skills, items, and story choices – but the game ‘resets’ the universe around you, letting you replay the story with a fresh start for things like relationships, missions, and map exploration.

According to Howard, the ‘Unity’ feature was essentially their take on a New Game+ mode. He explained it was meant to be a thought-provoking question for players: would they prioritize collecting everything in the game, or would they be willing to start fresh and abandon their progress? It was designed to make players reflect on their own choices and consider what they’d be willing to leave behind, even experiencing the emotional weight of loss – like giving up items or losing relationships with characters – to do so.

According to Todd Lamb, the studio designed the New Game+ system based on feedback from playtesters. Players expressed disappointment when the game ended and wanted to continue playing. Lamb explained they aimed to create a New Game+ experience that felt like a genuine option for continuation, not a punishment. “The game just ended,” he said, “and players told us they were surprised and wanted to keep going, so we added this system to Starfield.”

The new Free Lanes update for Starfield includes a significant change to the game’s ending and New Game+ mode. Players can now construct a device that lets them carry up to 50 items over into their next playthrough. According to Todd Howard, this allows players to continue their character’s progression and retain earned items, making the transition to New Game+ more seamless.

The addition of X-Tech, which made weapons and equipment even more powerful, likely enabled players to create this new device. Knowing players wouldn’t want to lose their valuable, hard-earned items, the studio made sure they could still use them going forward.

Lamb explained that they’re adding X-Tech to improve players’ weapons and equipment. They wanted to avoid a frustrating experience where players work hard to earn something, only to have it disappear. Once they realized how these elements were coming together, they knew they needed to implement a system like X-Tech.

Howard explained that Bethesda is adjusting the ending of the Unity storyline to improve the long-term gameplay experience in Starfield. This “elder loop” refers to the cycle of playing the game, which often involves players taking breaks and returning for extended periods. The Free Lanes update was designed to add more activities and content, giving players more to do beyond just the main story missions.

Howard explained that current quests, like those from the Trackers Alliance, offer a limited experience – you complete them and that’s it. While satisfying, this doesn’t give returning players a reason to continue playing for very long, maybe just a few hours. The team wants to focus on updates that significantly change the game and keep players engaged for hundreds of hours, and they encourage players to let them know if they’re succeeding.

Starfield is now available to play on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. You can read our full review of the PS5 version and learn more about the Terran Armada expansion on our site.

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2026-04-13 19:11