In the sprawling universe of Starfield, choosing your next mission can shape your entire journey-so should you dive into the cosmic mysteries of “Into the Unknown,” unravel the secrets in “The Empty Nest,” or head straight “Back to Vectera”? Each quest offers a unique path and rewards, but Bethesda support warns that tackling “Into the Unknown” first is crucial to avoid game-breaking bugs and ensure smooth progression through the main storyline. Which adventure will you embark on first?
“Into the Unknown” sends you to a space station in Jemison’s orbit. “The Empty Nest” connects you with a Firefly extra. And “Back to Vectera” directs you, well, back to Vectera – where Starfield begins. While you do have to do all three of them to proceed with the plot, there is one that you should absolutely do before the others.
In this Starfield guide, we’ll help you choose between the “Into the Unknown,” “The Empty Nest,” and “Back to Vectera” main quests in Starfield.
Why you should do ’Into the Unknown’ first
You should do “Into the Unknown” first because Bethesda support has indicated that completing this quest before “Back to Vectera” and “The Empty Nest” is crucial to avoid progression issues in the main storyline. If you complete the other quests first, “Into the Unknown” may get deleted from your quest log, potentially blocking further progress. Additionally, “Into the Unknown” introduces important story elements and rewards, such as the Anti-Gravity Field Starborn power, making it a significant early main quest that sets the stage for subsequent missions.
If you want to instantly improve your experience in Starfield, “Into the Unknown” is the clear winner of these three quests. Prioritize doing it over the other two because.
[Ed. Note: The rest of this post contains spoilers for Starfield.]
When you reach the climax of “Into the Unknown,” you’ll get space superpowers. Formally called powers, they’re the equivalent of Skyrim’s Dragon Shouts.
The first power you get is Anti-Gravity Field, an area-of-effect move that causes nearby enemies to levitate for a few seconds, allowing you to get some cheap shots in. It’s a pretty neat combat trick, and will probably save your bacon more than once. But, even better than Anti-Gravity Field, finishing “Into the Unknown” opens up the ability to find even more powers out in the starfield of Starfield.
Of the three quests, this is the only one that opens up a major mechanic. And while it’s totally fine to do it second or even third (as multiple AELGAMES staffers did), it’s the only mission you’ll be kicking yourself for doing late when you realize that you could’ve had neat space powers for the last 20 hours.
’The Empty Nest’ or ’Back to Vectera’ is up to you
“The Empty Nest” and “Back to Vectera” are two main quests in Starfield that become available after completing “The Old Neighbourhood,” alongside “Into the Unknown.” Choosing which to do first is largely up to the player, as the game itself suggests starting with “Back to Vectera,” where you return to the moon Vectera to find Barrett, with Sarah recommending this mission initially. “The Empty Nest” involves helping Sam Coe recover important maps in a gang-controlled area. Both quests offer unique rewards and opportunities to recruit crew members. While “Into the Unknown” is a higher-level mission and Bethesda support advises completing it first to avoid progression issues, many players follow the game’s prompt to start with “Back to Vectera” or “The Empty Nest” first without problems. Ultimately, the order depends on your playstyle and preference, but be mindful of potential quest progression bugs if “Into the Unknown” is delayed too long.
As for “The Empty Nest” and “Back to Vectera,” there’s no real reason to do one over the other.
If we had to choose, we’d do “Back to Vectera” second, as you can recruit Supervisor Lin, Heller, and Barrett to your crew over the course of the quest, if you make the right dialogue choices. “The Empty Nest,” meanwhile, will let you recruit Sam Coe, who is a cool guy and basically just Timothy Olyphant from Deadwood but in space (which I guess is just Cobb Vanth from The Mandalorian), but if you plan on building Outposts early on, three crew members is better than one.
Which quest should I prioritize first: Into the Unknown, The Empty Nest, or Back to Vectera
You should prioritize the quest “Into the Unknown” first after completing “One Small Step” and “The Old Neighborhood.” Bethesda support and multiple guides advise completing “Into the Unknown” before “Back to Vectera” and “The Empty Nest” to avoid progression-blocking bugs and ensure you unlock key aspects of the main storyline. While the game initially steers players toward “Back to Vectera,” doing that or “The Empty Nest” first can cause those quests to disappear from your log and prevent further progress. Therefore, starting with “Into the Unknown” is the safest and most recommended approach.
Why does Bethesda recommend doing Into the Unknown first despite game prompts
Bethesda recommends doing “Into the Unknown” first despite the game initially prompting players to start with “Back to Vectera” or “The Empty Nest” because completing those latter quests before “Into the Unknown” can cause them to disappear from your quest log, effectively blocking further progress in the main storyline. This bug can prevent you from recruiting key characters and advancing the campaign, leading to a frustrating dead end. Bethesda support has explicitly stated that finishing “Into the Unknown” first is necessary to avoid these progression issues, even though the game’s early guidance may suggest otherwise.
