How to steal ships in Starfield: Piracy guide

In Starfield, you have the ability to be a do-good space explorer or a space pirate and scourge of the blackest sea. Piracy is an actual mechanic in Starfield and is a great way of accumulating unique goods, credits, and possibly a bounty.

Whether you are a member of the Crimson Fleet or a dedicated United Colonies Vanguard member, you can still commit acts of piracy. Unlike other space fairing features, like Grav Jumping or weapons systems, how to rob other ships is not explicitly explained to you. If you are looking to make some fast credits, here’s what you need to know about piracy.

How to steal other spaceships in Starfield

In order to commit an act of piracy and rob another spaceship, you will first need to hail your target. To do this, target a ship and engage in conversation by selecting the ‘Hail’ option. From here, you have several dialog options, including an explicit piracy option that demands to receive the contents of your target’s cargo hold.

Related: Starfield review: A waltz among the stars

The level of your ship, the vessel you are targeting, and the contents of the target’s cargo hold will determine how the interaction proceeds. Stronger starships will almost always resist your attempts and turn the confrontation into an all-out dogfight. If you try doing this with other guard ships around, you might find yourself quickly outnumbered.

Weaker ships with less valuable cargo are quick to hand over their contents but don’t expect anything too good from these easy hauls. Weaker ships with valuable cargo will also fight back, but you will likely have an easy time apprehending these targets.

If you rob ships often and leave witnesses to your acts of piracy, you should expect to receive a bounty from either the United Colonies or Freestar Collective. Of course, there are several galaxies and planets that exist outside these two government bodies where piracy is more rampant, though ships here are few and far between.