At the climax of Starfield’s epic journey, the “One Giant Leap” mission presents a profound choice: step into the mysterious Unity and become a Starborn, launching a New Game Plus with new challenges and abilities, or turn back to savor unfinished quests and the universe you’ve built. This final leap isn’t just about ending the story-it’s about deciding whether to embrace a bold new beginning or hold onto the life you’ve crafted among the stars.
In this Starfield guide, we’re going to walk you through the “One Giant Leap” quest, and help you make the decision that makes the most sense for you and your character.
A possible bug at launch is that players are sometimes unable to follow the scanner. If this happens to you, we recommend returning to orbit and waiting by passing time. Consider shutting the game off and launching it fresh as well, just in case.
Also, when you make to re-land on the planet, be absolutely sure you’re picking the Scanner Anomaly Site. If you land anywhere else by accident, the temple won’t appear on the map and you won’t be able to find it.
Wrapping things up
As you conclude the “One Giant Leap” quest in Starfield, the choice before you is profound: enter the Unity and become Starborn, starting a New Game Plus with your XP and skills carried forward but losing most possessions and companions, or return to your current universe to finish any unfinished business. Building the Armillary on your ship and grav jumping to Unity sets the stage for this pivotal moment. Talking to your friends before departure is optional but recommended to tie up loose ends. Whichever path you choose, this marks the end of Starfield’s main story but not the end of your adventure in the vast universe, offering continued exploration and new experiences ahead.
This is the final quest in the game, and depending on the decision you make, you might not see this world again. There’s a bit of wrap-up and busywork to do before you go.
Talk to your friends before you leave (Optional)
The Unity is deeply mysterious, so all the characters want to say a quick “thanks and see you later” to you before you head inside – just in case. Head back to the Lodge and walk around to have a chat with all of your friends (don’t forget Vasco, the robot).
Depending on how fast you’ve gone with the main quest, it’s possible you haven’t waited the five days between the death of your companion and their memorial. If you still have the “Missed Beyond Measure” quest, now is the time to do it. You can skip right to the memorial by resting in your bed in the Lodge.
Build the Armillary on your ship // Power up the Grave Drive to jump to the Unity // Or remove the Armillary to Grav Jump normally
Once you’re ready to go and see what the end of the game has in store, build the Armillary on your ship and add the final artifacts to it – keep in mind that you might need to pick your Armillary up from an outpost if you left it there earlier in the game.
With the Armillary built, head out into orbit around any planet and tick your Grav Drive up one power. Your ship will instantly make a jump into a mysterious zone.
If you change your mind at any point in this process and decide you have more errands to run, remember that you have to dismantle the Armillary in the little ship menu or else you’ll end up jumping to the Unity on accident.
Into the Unity
The Unity in Starfield represents the final destination in the “One Giant Leap” quest, where players face a pivotal choice that shapes the conclusion of their journey. After collecting all the Artifacts and building the Armillary on your ship, you can initiate a Grav Jump to reach the Unity, a mysterious realm where you encounter an alternate version of yourself. This meeting leads to a profound explanation of the Unity’s purpose and offers two paths: return to your old life in the current universe or step into the orb to become Starborn, effectively starting New Game Plus. Choosing to enter the Unity ends your current game, carrying over your XP and skills but resetting possessions and quests, while returning allows you to continue exploring the universe as before. This decision marks the culmination of Starfield’s main story, inviting players to reflect on their journey and readiness for what lies ahead.
The Unity is a mysterious area somewhere in the heavens where you’ll meet an interesting but familiar character who will offer you an impactful choice.
[Warning: This next section includes massive spoilers for Starfield]
Choosing the Unity or your universe
When you enter the Unity, you’ll be surrounded by stars and celestial bodies floating in the distance. And somehow you’ll be standing on solid ground. Ahead of you you’ll see the back of someone in a Constellation suit, looking at a glowing ball: the Unity.
Walk up and talk to this mysterious figure, who you’ll quickly learn is actually you. You’ll tell yourself all about the Unity and eventually give you a choice: leave your universe behind for something grander or return to the universe you know.
Walk into the Unity
The game tries to warn you with some narrative fluff your character says, but even then it’s not as clear as perhaps it should be, so let us state it as plainly as we can: Walking into The Unity is tantamount to starting a new game plus.
If you walk through The Unity you will lose almost everything. Your money, ship, suit, resources, weapons, and more will be gone. The only thing you’ll keep are your powers, your level, and your skills.
However, you’ll start in space in a Starborn ship and a Starborn suit – both yours. This is the major advantage to starting a second playthrough, as both of these are excellent tools for helping you adventure your way around the universe.
As for the main quest, you’ll immediately get told to go to the Lodge. When you arrive, you’ll find the same Constellation members you found when you first showed up in the “One Small Step” quest all those hours ago. They’ll tell you you look familiar, and you’ll get the option to either skip the main quest or replay it.
Once you make your choice, you’ll be off to the races on a new playthrough. But, unless you load an old save, you can’t return to your first playthrough and all that loot. Choose wisely.
Leave the Unity and come back later
Once you talk to you inside the singularity, and you’re offered the opportunity to step into The Unity and become reborn, you have the option to turn right around and walk away. If you’re not ready to start new game plus just yet, turn around and walk toward the empty stars, away from the NPC version of you and The Unity. You’ll need to walk for a while, but you’ll eventually emerge back on your ship with the Armillary temporarily dismantled.
You’ll now have the option to return to The Unity at any time. Simply reinstall the Armillary and boot up your Grav Drive when you’re ready for a brand new adventure.
Should I enter the Unity or leave to keep my current progress safe
If you want to keep your current progress, items, weapons, credits, outposts, and quest states safe, you should choose to leave the Unity and return to your original universe. This option lets you continue exploring and finishing side quests without losing your accumulated gear and investments like your luxury home, which many players value highly. You can always enter the Unity later if you decide to start a New Game Plus run, but be aware that entering the Unity resets almost everything except your character level and perks, forcing you to start fresh gear-wise in a new universe.
In summary, leaving the Unity preserves your current progress, while entering it initiates a New Game Plus with a reset inventory and universe, appealing mostly to those who want to replay the main story with added powers and challenges.
Will entering the Unity reset my progress or keep my current gear safe
Entering the Unity in Starfield will reset most of your progress: you lose your inventory, outposts, custom-built ships, rare items, and other accumulated gear. Essentially, your current equipment and many systems are wiped, leaving only your character level and perks intact for the New Game Plus experience. This means your current gear will not be kept safe if you enter the Unity. If preserving your current progress and gear is important to you, it is better to leave the Unity and continue playing in your original universe.
