Becoming a pirate in Starfield is a viable option. The galaxy is a wild place, and there’s plenty of riches out there to loot. If you decide to turn to piracy, here’s the best way to do it.
How to commit piracy in Starfield
You can be a pirate in Starfield fairly easily. There are ships flying all over the galaxy waiting to be plundered, and all it takes to get the process started is finding a target. Your prey will consist primarily of freighters and transports, so you’ll need to find one of these. When you do, you can target the ship and hail it to make your demands.
Making a piracy demand will work one of two ways:
- The ship will immediately give you access to its cargo hold.
- The vessel will refuse and instantly turn hostile.
If the former happens, you’re all good. You can raid the ship’s cargo and depart with no shots fired. Often, whether by design or through a bug, I found I didn’t even get a bounty for doing this.
If your target attacks, you’ll have to defend yourself. The risk here is that you’ll blow up your victim (or be destroyed yourself). If this happens, you’ll get a hefty bounty, but you can still pick up the cargo from the wreckage.
If you decide to be a pirate, you’re best off getting some EM weapons to disable ships and hijack them. This way, not only do you get the cargo, but you also get a new ship to add to your fleet.
Now, if you want to become a Pirate (with a capital “P”) in Starfield, you’ll want to join the Crimson Fleet. The best way to do this is to join the UC Vanguard on New Atlantis and play through the questline until you’re asked to infiltrate the nefarious organization. You can then play through the Crimson Fleet’s questline and betray the Vanguard if you choose.
Starfield pirate FAQ
A: Simply target freighters and transports, then hail and make demands. Depending on the ship’s response, you either access their cargo or face hostility. Equipping EM weapons can help disable ships for easier hijacking.
A: If resisted, you’ll have to defend yourself. Destroying a ship might result in a hefty bounty, though you can still salvage cargo from the wreckage.
A: To affiliate with the Crimson Fleet, join the UC Vanguard on New Atlantis. As you advance, you’ll get an opportunity to infiltrate the Crimson Fleet and possibly betray the Vanguard.
