Starfield has just received a brand-new update from Bethesda, and it marks the end of an iconic bug’s reign in-game. Thanks to the patch, you won’t see your beloved pet rock hanging around your ship as you soar through the stars anymore. Update 1.8.88 addresses the clingy asteroid issue and tackles a couple of other save-related problems you may have encountered while traversing the Settled Systems.
Now that Starfield has been floating about the RPG game atmosphere for a little while, Bethesda is working to fix both minor and major issues that break our space-exploring immersion. The behemoth developer dropped a beta version of the Starfield asteroid fix recently, allowing fans to test the update out before its non-Steam beta debut. If you missed it, the dev implemented it to counter a common bug that causes space matter to stick permanently to your ship.
Update 1.8.88 makes this fix available to all players. Once you download the new patch, you should notice that upon loading a save your clingy pet rock is no longer there. If your inanimate pet is a bit on the heavier side and takes the shape of New Atlantis itself as shown in this Reddit post, then you get to keep your mildly annoying lifeless pal around for a while longer.
Bethesda says that players should note the 1.8.88 fix “should address any space matter being stuck in your travels,” except for “in instances where player ships have New Atlantis attached.” Say your goodbyes to the city-sized companion though, as the dev declares that a “fix for that will be released in a later update.”
While 1.8.88 doesn’t mark the end of the New Atlantis bug, it does fix an issue that stops random guns from spawning in a newly created Weapon Case once you load save. For any Microsoft players on PC, the update also resolves the problem that caused save-related crashes in the middle of lengthy playthroughs.
We will miss our, as Bethesda eloquently describes them, “faithful, but uninvited” rock companions, but it’s for the best. Responses to the dev’s announcement are genuinely humorous, with players remembering their never-to-be-forgotten space matter and going as far as naming the clingy asteroids. One clever fan calls their newly departed pet ‘Balboa,’ while another lovingly names his ‘Asty the Asteroid.’
I’ll never forget you, Dwayne. While you wait to load back into your game following the 1.8.88 update, take your mind off your pet rock’s departure and browse through a few of our favorite Starfield mods for a free way to spice your experience up. Alternatively, you can check out our in-depth guide on Starfield outposts to ensure you’re building the best possible base camps.
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.
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