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Delgado staring down camera in Starfield, a brown-haired man with a beard and a red scarf.
Screenshot by Dot Esports
Category:
Starfield

How to join the Crimson Fleet in Starfield

You days of piracy have only just begun.
Image of Blaine Polhamus
Blaine Polhamus
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Published: Aug 31, 2023 12:20 pm

The Crimson Fleet is a faction of space pirates that maraud and terrorize the many systems of Starfield. Much like the United Colonies, Freestar Collective, or Ryujin Industries, the Crimson Fleet is a faction that you can join. Compared to the other factions, however, joining this gang of outlaws requires unconventional methods.

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Your first run-in with the Crimson Fleet comes only minutes into Starfield, as you defend your mining operation from a small group of Crimson Fleet members. As you progress through the initial portions of Starfield, you will quickly learn that the Fleet is a more structured, skilled organization than the Spacers, Eclipse, or other intergalactic criminals.

If you are looking to spend your time pulling off heists and looting ships, then here’s how you can get into the Crimson Fleet.

Where to join the Crimson Fleet in Starfield

The only known way to join the Crimson Fleet in Starfield is to acquire a bounty with the United Colonies. After you commit any crime against the United Colonies, or any other faction, you will gain a bounty. Upon entering a UC planet or system, you will be scanned for contraband or active bounties.

Image of a United Colonies Commander adorned in military attire, staring forward.
Oddly enough, your journey with the Crimson Fleet begins with the United Colonies | Screenshot by Dot Esports

Whenever you acquire your first bounty with the UC, you will be detained, placed in interrogation, and given the quest ‘Deep Cover.’ After meeting with UC Commander Ikande, you will be given a proposition to act as the UC’s mole inside of the Crimson Fleet to avoid jail time. If you accept, you’ll be on your way to joining the Crimson Fleet.

While this storyline begins with your character initially acting as an insider for the UC, you can veer off course and gradually side with the Crimson Fleet fully. You will still need to regularly report to the UC, so I don’t recommend making this jump too fast, as Commander Ikande will likely catch on to your betrayal.

Image of a space ship closing in on a battered space station.
Eventually, you will gain enough trust with the Fleet to visit the faction’s central base, The Key | Screenshot by Dot Esports

If you are a law-abiding citizen in Starfield, you might struggle to come up with a bounty against the UC. If you are following the main storyline, however, you will likely acquire a bounty during the ‘No Sudden Moves’ questline, where you rob Captain Petrov.

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Author
Image of Blaine Polhamus
Blaine Polhamus
Staff Writer for Dot Esports. Avid gamer for two decades and gaming writer for three years. I'm a lover of anything Souls-like since 2011. I cover everything from single-player RPGs to MMOs.