Starfield religions: All three explained

Starfield religions: All three explained
Images via Bethesda

Written by 

Chris Penwell

Published 

23rd Aug 2023 10:00

The next Bethesda Softworks game features a bounty of rich worlds and cities to explore in outer space, and that includes a bunch of religions in Starfield. The lore is expected to be immense as different beliefs are likely to be tested throughout the story. Are current religious beliefs in our world be included as well? Here's what we know about all religions in Starfield. 

All fictional religions in Starfield

A ship orbiting a planet in Starfield
Click to enlarge

Each Bethesda Softworks game, especially the RPGs, are expected to have immense worldbuilding, and it's no different within the religions in Starfield. Three were specifically mentioned within a recent Discord Q&A with two developers of the game. According to Gameranx, there's the Sanctum Universum, The Enlightened, and the House Va'ruun. You can discover them early if you get a special edition.

First, the Sanctum Universum is a new religion that's only a "couple decades old in [the] timeline," according to lead quest designer Will Shen. Despite how new the religion is, it's been gaining "a lot of prominence." They believe that the ability to travel in space "brings us closer to God." They're called by others the "Universals" and believe that the "grav jump is God's way of saying, 'I'm out here, come find me,'" said lead game designer Emil Pagliarulo.

Next, The Enlightened are a group of atheists. Pagliarulo says that "they teach that human beings have to take care of each other and they practice what they preach through various community outreach programs." 

Lastly, there's the House Va'ruun. This is the most mysterious religion within Starfield. They're a group of people that believe that a Great Serpent is speaking to them after grav jumping. They believe that it's saying, "Get onboard or be devoured when the Great Serpent encircles the universe." 

"In the game, you sometimes face off against House Va’ruun Zealots (as an enemy group), and that’s their motivation," said Pagliarulo in the Discord Q&A. "I recently got the House Va’runn logo tattooed on my wrist; so yeah, I dig them." You'll likely spot these zealots within the open worlds of Starfield.

There's likely more to the story for each of these fictional religions in Starfield. We'll find out when the game officially releases.

Are Earth-based religions in Starfield?

A city in Starfield
Click to enlarge

Real religions like Christianity and Hinduism are canon in the Starfield storyline. However, Pagliarulo in the Discord Q&A confirmed that they "don't really focus on them." They'll be solely focused on the three religions outlined above.

For more Starfield guides, keep reading GGRecon.

Chris Penwell
About the author
Chris Penwell
Chris Penwell is an experienced video games journalist with a Bachelor in Communications. He loves to play narrative-focused games like Kingdom Hearts and Beyond Good & Evil.
Why trust GGRecon?

Established in 2019, we don’t just cover games - we live them. Our expert team is full of dedicated gamers, qualified journalists, and industry insiders who collectively boast decades of experience covering gaming and esports. This deep-rooted expertise allows us to provide authoritative and nuanced perspectives first-hand from a team who are playing, and researching every game covered on our website. 

Our foundation is built on a profound commitment to editorial independence, ensuring our content remains free from external influence and advertising pressures and is held to the highest level of editorial conduct, integrity, and quality. 

Every article on GGRecon comes from rigorous research, informed analysis, and a passion for gaming that resonates with our readers. We uphold these standards through a transparent editorial policy, accessible here, which governs our processes and maintains our accountability.

Trending
Several ways to increase your carry capacity in Starfield that you need to know
9 best games like Starfield to play in 2024, from Destiny 2 to No Man’s Sky
All Starfield console commands & Item IDs on PC, from god mode to noclip & more
How to earn credits quickly in Starfield
How to change FOV in Starfield on PC & Xbox