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Starfield: How to Quickly Find Enemy Ships

Published: Sep. 07, 2023
Updated: Dec. 21, 2023

German English

Locating hostile ships in Starfield is not as straightforward. That's why our Starfield expert, Alex, demonstrates how to quickly find ships belonging to spacers and other space criminals.

In this guide, you'll learn:

  • Why hostile spacecraft in Starfield are rare.
  • What you can do to encounter enemy ships more efficiently.

Finding Hostile Ships in Starfield: Partly a Matter of Luck

Starfield Find enemy ships

In Starfield, encountering hostile ships is a rare occurrence, at least outside of quests or bounty missions. However, the Starfield universe is not entirely peaceful even in space; you just need to know how to search for enemy ships belonging to spacers and others. This is the topic of the following guide, which also mentions star systems that will definitely involve you in space battles.

Why Hostile Ships are Rare in Starfield

At times, it may seem that hostile ships are almost non-existent in Starfield. However, there is a logical explanation when considering the criminal background of the ship owners you are primarily searching for.

Spacers, pirates, and other space riffraff operate away from the watchful eyes of the "System Security," and they rarely settle near law enforcement. More precisely, populated systems are not the comfort zone for space rogues; they prefer relatively unexplored star systems.

The Trick: Jump Frequently

This gives you a first clue about where you might find enemy ships in Starfield. Additionally, the images below show what is meant by "relatively explored" systems. In essence, they are simply away from Alpha Centauri and populated systems.

Starfield Find enemy ships 03
These are some unexplored systems and routes. (Starfield)

However, wait a moment: Did I just say that ships "might" be found in these unexplored star systems? Yes – unfortunately, it seems that in Starfield, luck plays a role in determining whether and when you will be attacked by hostile ships.

More about Starfield

But there is a straightforward trick to encounter hostile spacecraft more quickly. Travel to a remote or unexplored system and use the gravity jump again to jump to an adjacent system. If you repeat this a few times, you have a good chance of encountering enemy ships directly or at least encountering a relevant event.

In Starfield, Hints From Pilots Reveal the Location of Enemies

Starfield Find enemy ships 01
In Starfield, you occasionally come across a friendly pilot who warns you of dangers in the current or another system.

Such an event may involve encountering a "friendly" ship whose pilot contacts you. If you listen to the message, the pilot warns you of pirate activities in the current or a nearby system. This event seems to occur frequently; we received such warnings in the Altair and Sirius systems (near Sirius III), for example.

Starfield Feindliche Schiffe finden 02
One of the systems where you are likely to encounter pirates or other enemies is the Sirius system. (Starfield)

Such an event may involve encountering a "friendly" ship whose pilot contacts you. If you listen to the message, the pilot warns you of pirate activities in the current or a nearby system. This event seems to occur frequently; we received such warnings in the Altair and Sirius systems (near Sirius III), for example.

Where you Will Definitely Encounter Enemy Ships

  • Sol System, Venus, near Satellite Beacon
  • Altair System, Altair III-b

We plan to expand this guide with many more details about systems with hostile activity in the future.

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Every tip mentioned in this guide has been practically tested by our team to ensure you receive reliable and accurate information.
After graduating from high school, I initially wanted to study instrumental music. However, eventually I pursued a career as a video game journalist, which I started at the prestigious Ehapa-Verlag publisher, among others. Today, I share my extensive video game expertise with Guided. I benefit from over 40 years of experience with PC and console games, as well as my work in game development for the indie studio Knights of Bytes. I understand how video games work, and I also know how to convey my knowledge in an understandable manner.
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