Every religion in Starfield explained

Rajarshi Acharya
A Starfield explorer on the Moon.

Starfield players can heavily customize their role-playing experience and one way to do so is by joining a religion. Starfield has a bunch of fictional and real-life religions, and here’s a list of all the religions in the game, their purpose, how you can join them, and a religion’s impact on the gameplay.

From parents to the Adoring Fan, there are many elements that you can add to your Starfield journey to make it stand out among others. This includes religions too as there are some minor religious factions in the game that grant attributes and buffs.

Joining a religious group is entirely up to you in Starfield which is why many players are curious to know about their impact on your expansive adventure throughout space. On top of that, every group has a unique ideology, and choosing the right religion can be confusing.

To clear all your doubts, we’ve explained all Starfield religions and how you can join them.

Starfield religions explained

exploring vast planet starfield
Religions in Starfield act as factions as well.

Starfield has three major religions that come up as options during character creation.

Here are the three major Starfield religions:

The Enlightened

The Enlightened are a group of atheists in Starfield who reject the idea of a supreme being, focusing instead on the idea of humanism. They design and oversee numerous charitable and community outreach initiatives to spread their beliefs across the Settled Systems. Their headquarters are called the House of the Enlightened and it can be found in New Atlantis.

The Sanctum Universum

The Sanctum Universum is the newest religion in Starfield that only emerged 20 years before the events of the game. Universals believe that God exists somewhere in the universe and is guiding humanity to meet Him. The Grav Drive, which enables interstellar travel is proof of this divine direction and God’s desire to be discovered, according to Universals.

Despite being a new religion, Sanctum Universum has expanded rapidly in such a short time. Their headquarters is simply called the Sanctum Universum and is also situated in New Atlantis.

walking on planet starfield
Real-world religions exist in Starfield in addition to the three major religions.

House Va’runn

House Va’runn is a cult in Starfield that worships a deity known as the Great Serpent. A popular rumor about them claims that the cult was founded on a colony ship that was taking a series of jumps to its destination.

After one of the jumps, a colonist on board claimed he had a vision of a deity called the Great Serpent and received a mandate from it. This mandate was to worship the Great Serpent or be devoured by it when it encircles the universe.

How to join a religion in Starfield

Choosing a religion is quite easy in Starfield. All you need to do is choose the corresponding trait during character creation. The religions and their traits are listed below:

  • The Enlightened – Raised Enlightened
  • Sanctum Universum – Raised Universal
  • House Va’ruun – Serpent’s Embrace

Are there real-life religions in Starfield?

Yes, Starfield features real-life religions but you cannot join them like you can join fictional religions such as The Enlighted, Sanctum Universum, or House Va’ruun. Instead, you’ll stumble upon NPCs in different regions that follow real-life religions.

Does religion matter in Starfield?

The religion you pick in Starfield doesn’t have a major impact on the gameplay as religions only grant you some minor attributes, buffs, items, and dialogue options. The additional dialogue options might help you get out of speech challenges or some quests but this won’t change your experience drastically. So, choosing a religion shouldn’t be a stressful decision at all.

That covers everything you need to know about religions in Starfield. If you’re looking to know more about the game, check out the guides below:

Starfield romance explained | Starfield Outposts explained | Starfield start screen controversy explained | Is Starfield on Xbox Game Pass for PC & console? | Is Starfield multiplayer or co-op? | Does Starfield have mod support at launch? | Does Starfield have New Game Plus? | Is Starfield be on Steam Deck? | Does Starfield have DLC & story expansions?