A year after Starfield's original launch, Bethesda Game Studios is gearing up for the game's first major expansion, Shattered Space on September 30, 2024. The new DLC is expected to lean into a horror aesthetic as players venture to the previously unseen planet of Va'ruun'kai, home to the Great Serpent-worshipping House Va'ruun.

A new post from the official Bethesda Game Studios X has teased the sheer scale of the expansion, boasting over 50 new locations to discover and explore across Va'ruun'kai, as well as new weapons such as grenades that can be created from a "gross" organic material. The post also teases "formidable new enemies" as well as some returning threats, such as the Zealots, Spacers, and the Crimson Fleet.

Shattered Space Seems To Be Packing A Lot Into Its New Planet

The Entire Expansion Takes Place On Va'ruun'kai

It had previously been revealed that Shattered Space will be taking place entirely on Va'ruun'kai - although players would be able to leave the planet at any time - which may have surprised those who were used to Starfield's immense scale, as the base game boasted 1000 planets across 100 star systems. However, it sounds like Bethesda has packed this one planet full of content, with several handcrafted locations to explore, rather than some of the base game's procedurally generated planets that had been criticized for seeming lifeless in comparison.

While it's expected to find religious zealots on Va'ruun'kai, considering House Va'ruun's penchant for secrecy, the arrival of other factions such as Spacers and the Crimson Fleet is less expected. The previews did confirm that the Vortexes across the planets have been a result of some disastrous Grav Drive experiments and would be pulling in beings from other dimensions. With the planet in a state of disarray, it's possible that House Va'ruun is unable to keep it a secret any longer, making it a target for many nefarious factions from both the current reality and others.

With a gripping new story, a whole new planet, and these new and returning threats, it certainly sounds like there's going to be plenty for players to enjoy when Shattered Space launches later this month. Until then, Starfield has received several new recent updates to the base game, including the long-awaited addition of land vehicles, which are sure to come in handy when exploring Va'ruun'kai and give players plenty of reasons to return to the game ahead of the new expansion.

Source: Bethesda Game Studios/X