Is it possible to complete a Starfield pacifist run? After Bethesda announced that Starfield had gone gold, there was an AMA session with two lead designers revealing tons of information that hadn’t already come to light. One of the questions asked during the session was from a fan who wished to finish the game without committing any acts of violence.
So what did the developers say about a potential Starfield pacifist run? Well, they didn’t confirm whether this feat is impossible in the RPG game, but they gave some indicators as to which traits will help people avoid fighting. The Starfield release date is nearly here, so this is everything you need to know about pacifist runs in Starfield and what you can use to assist you.
Is a Starfield pacifist run possible?
According to Bethesda, it may not be possible to complete a Starfield pacifist run with intended strategies, even if you select the most optimal traits. That said, glitches and exploits may likely make such a feat possible.
When asked during the Discord AMA, lead quest designer Will Shen said, “I can’t guarantee every mission can be completed in pacifist mode, but we do have a couple of systems that will help. One system is our Speech Challenge game, where you can persuade someone to do something like not fight you. The speech challenge game is added in specific scripted moments, and we try to add one into most quests where important characters confront you.”
Emil Pagliarulo, lead designer and writer on Starfield, expanded on this answer by discussing the development process. “So, we talked about this very early on during pre-production, whether or not we would fully support a ‘non-lethal’ playthrough. We realized that, for various reasons, that wasn’t totally feasible. Now, that being said, there are some good non-lethal options, whether through dialogue or by using a non-lethal weapon. Those can be used in certain situations, honestly, a lot of situations, though I couldn’t comfortably say you can complete the entire game without any killing whatsoever. The Settled Systems is mostly civilized, but it can be a dangerous place if you’re going off the beaten path. And you’re absolutely going off the beaten path!”
With Bethesda’s answer, the challenge has now been set for the first Starfield pacifist run. If you’re hoping to complete the challenge, you’ll likely need to get some tips on which Starfield skills can help you the most, as well as the best Starfield companions to accompany you on your journey. After all, if you have a hot-headed buddy with itchy trigger fingers, your pacifist run might be over before you know it.
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.