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Wondering about Starfield crew members and how the crew system works? Not-quite-random-NPCs and not-quite-companions, crew members in Starfield are going to be an important part of manning and maintaining larger ships and outposts across the Settled Systems in Bethesda Studio’s upcoming sci-fi RPG.
We’ll go over what Starfield crew members are, where you can find them, and who the best ones are to choose for your crew. Keep in mind crew aren’t quite the same thing as Starfield companions, but you’ll still be able to explore the 1000+ Starfield planets across the Starfield map with them.
What are crew members in Starfield?
Starfield crew members are a type of NPC that can be hired to work aboard your starship, or at your outposts. Crews are essential to keeping large ships or installations working effectively, with certain modules even requiring crew members to function. If you want to build large starships or operate outposts that can produce a lot, then you’re going to need a crew. Much like companions, it may be possible to use the Starfield romance system with some crew members too.
Where can you hire crew members in Starfield?
You’ll be able to find crew members across the settled systems. While there are a lot of NPCs you can bring on as crew, it’s unclear if you’ll be able to bring anyone on as crew. Mission critical NPCs might not be hirable, and your standing with Starfield factions is likely to have an impact on your ability to bring people on.
There isn’t any one place in particular that you’re going to need to look for crew members, but there are a few likely candidates that might commonly hold a few. Spaceports are a good bet for this. We know that some like Marika Boros will be found here. But you’re equally likely to stumble across potential crew members in the strangest places. Heller, a ballistics expert, can be found in the wreckage of a starship for example. It also seems extremely likely that you’ll find at least a few on all the major planets and their cities, like New Atlantis on Jemison and Cydonia on Mars.
The best way to find crew members, however, is through companions. You can only have one companion adventuring with you at any given time, but you can always bring others on as valuable crew members. Even more importantly, companions all have four traits, ranked one to four, which give them special abilities and competencies. By comparison, most other crew members only have two or three traits, so companion crew members get a distinct edge. You’ll meet some of these companions in major locations, but you’ll also run into a fair few throughout the course of the Starfield story.
All Starfield NPC crewmembers
Here’s all the crew members we know you’ll be able to hire so far, including those who double as companions. We’ll keep this updated as we learn more about the game and meet more crew member candidates.
| NPC Name | Location | Faction | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adoring Fan | New Atlantis | Unknown/NA | Unknown/NA |
| Barrett | Opening Mission, Kreet (Unconfrimed) | Constellation | Starship Engineering (Grade 4), Particle Weapons Systems (Grade 3), Robotics (Grade 2), Gastronomics (Grade 1) |
| Heller | Crashed Starship (unknown) | Unknown/NA | Outpost Engineering (Grade 3), Geology (Grade 1) |
| Marika Boros | The Viewport, spaceport at New Atlantis (unconfirmed) | Unknown/NA | Ballistics (Grade 2), Particle Weapons Systems (Grade 1), Shotgun Certification (Grade 1) |
| Sam Coe | Akila City | Constellation | Piloting (Grade 4), Rifle Certification (Grade 3), Payloads (Grade 2), Geology (Grade 1) |
| Sarah Morgan | Constellation HQ, New Atlantis | Constellation | Astrodynamics (Grade 4), Lasers (Grade 3), Leadership (Grade 2), Botany, (Grade 1) |
| Vasco | Unknown | Constellation | Unknown |
How to get rid of Crew members in Starfield
If you decide you no longer want a crew member, you’ve got a few options. The first and most effective way is a permanent removal via lethal force. i.e. kill them. While certainly effective, it’s probably not a great look for your character to go around executing individuals who become redundant. The second option is to reallocate them somewhere, perhaps to a distant outpost you hardly think about. True, this isn’t actually getting rid of them, but given that you can link up outposts to form trade routes, it’s more likely a waste to get rid of them completely. Thirdly is the possibility for a dismissal dialogue option, though we haven’t had anything like this confirmed yet, so it’s pure speculation.
That covers everything we know so far about Starfield crew members, what they do, and where you can find them. If you’re ready to dive deeper into Starfield, why not take a look at our breakdowns of some of the major players? The Starfield United Colonies faction and the Starfield Ryujin Industries faction are both particularly interesting groups that you’ll be able to join in-game.
Do I need crew members in Starfield?
You will need crew members in Starfield if you’re planning on operating larger starships or high-yield outposts. Certain modules require a crew member to function.
How do I find crew members in Starfield?
You can find crew members in Starfield just about anywhere. Some will be stranded on desolate moons or crashed ships, others will hang around spaceports. Try talking to as many NPCs as possible, and be sure to check major locations like New Atlantis City.
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