How to unlock and use the Scanner Bounty System in Starfield

Starfield released a major update on June 9 that overhauls mission structures and adds new mission types. One of the more interesting mission types comes from the Trackers Alliance with the new Scanner Bounty system.

Scanner Bounty system in Starfield, explained

The Scanner Bounty system in Starfield is a Trackers Alliance feature that allows you to scan other NPCs. Upon scanning certain NPCs, you might encounter some with a pre-existing bounty on their head. This allows you to take actions that can influence their fate moving forward. How you handle the situation is up to you.

After the June 9 update, you can interact with bounty targets with your scanner. To find these NPCs, simply use your scanner as you would to scan other surface-level objects, flora, and fauna. When you find someone with a red silhouette, as shown above, you can approach them and interrogate them further regarding their involvement with illicit activities.

From this point on, how you choose to handle the situation is up to you. You can take the peaceful approach by persuading them to give themselves up or engage in battle to kill them and collect their bounty. The former option generally yields quicker results, but you must have points invested in Persuasion for the higher-ranking targets.

Regardless of your chosen method, the result will lead to their downfall, and you will receive a bounty reward once you apprehend them. Now that you know how the Scanner Bounty system works, you need to know how to trigger these quests.

How to access Trackers Alliance bounties in Starfield

When you make port in New Atlantis, you might run into the Mysterious Tracker. This NPC is your liaison to the Trackers Alliance, so follow them back to their headquarters in Akila. After a brief initiation mission that involves capturing a Starship thief called “The Starjacker,” your first bounty mission, you officially become a part of the Trackers Alliance.

Once you complete this quest, you can access other Trackers Alliance missions from their headquarters. For now, a handful of bounty missions should be available to get you started, but they are limited. New Trackers Alliance missions will be periodically added to the game by Bethesda through its Creations platform.