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How to start the Starfield Terran Armada DLC and Incursions explained

Guides
By Iain Wilson published 7 April 2026

If you want to encounter the robot army invading the Settled Systems, then this is where to find the Terran Armada in Starfield

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Starfield Terran Armada
(Image credit: Bethesda)
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  • What are Terran Armada Incursions?
  • Set chance of Terran Armada Incursions
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The Starfield Terran Armada represents the latest threat to the Settled Systems, with a faction of military deserters building a robot army that has been programmed to unite all of humanity... by force! If you've purchased the new story DLC then naturally you'll want to track down this fresh enemy as soon as possible, but you need to trigger it first. To get you on your way, this is how to start the Terran Armada DLC in Starfield, along with an explanation of what their Incursions are.

How to start Terran Armada in Starfield

An SSNN beacon triggering the start of the initial Starfield Terran Armada mission

(Image credit: Bethesda)

To start Terran Armada in Starfield, you need to find an SSNN beacon broadcasting a news report about luxury cruise ship Opulence of the Stars being hijacked and going missing in the Nirvana system. We found one of these down near the mining area of Cydonia on Mars, but there should be SSNN beacons in most populated locations of Starfield if you look around.

The Starfield Terran Armada Attack of the Terran Armada mission in the log

(Image credit: Bethesda)

During this report detailing the missing ship, an unknown voice proclaims "We are the Terran Armada. We are the true children of Earth. And none shall stand in our way." This is followed by a plea from the authorities for all available pilots to aid the search for survivors, which will add the Attack of the Terran Armada mission to your log with the next step being to Join the search party orbiting Nirvana I.

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Map showing the initial location of the Starfield Terran Armada

(Image credit: Bethesda)

The location of the Nirvana system is shown on the map above, which is a fair distance out of the central region and one potential route there involves passing through Olympus, Volii, and Rivera on the way. It's worth noting that Nirvana is a Level 40 system and the Attack of the Terran Armada mission has a Recommend Level of 50+, so if you're under levelled then you are going to struggle – we've got pointers for how to farm Starfield XP and level up quickly if you need a boost, though if you're not close to that then you should consider progressing further through the main story first.

What are Terran Armada Incursions?

Starfield Terran Armada

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Terran Armada Incursions in Starfield occur when the robot forces attack existing locations, turning them into active combat zones as they try to seize control. If these attacks are Major Incursions then Starfield fast travel to and from the location is shut down, so you'll need to reach the vicinity then use Starfield Cruise Mode to reach the area and join the defense effort. Once all of the Terran Armada forces at the location have been defeated, the usual travel options will become available once again.

We haven't been able to 100% confirm this for ourselves yet, but it seems unlikely that Incursions will start until you've progressed through the Attack of the Terran Armada mission.

Can you change how likely Terran Armada Incursions will occur?

Option to change the chance of Incursions by the Starfield Terran Armada

(Image credit: Bethesda)

If you want to increase your chances of encountering Terran Armada Incursions in Starfield, or you'd prefer to avoid them as much as possible, there is a new setting found under Gameplay Options in the Settings menu to help with that. Scroll down to Terran Armada Options to find the Incursion Chance setting, which you can configure to Reduced, Normal, or Increased. It's worth noting that while there is no XP bonus for setting this to Increased, choosing the Reduced option will result in a -4% XP penalty that will marginally slow down your progress.

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Iain Wilson
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Iain originally joined Future in 2012 to write guides for CVG, PSM3, and Xbox World, before moving on to join GamesRadar in 2013 as Guides Editor. His words have also appeared in OPM, OXM, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, and SFX. He is better known to many as ‘Mr Trophy’, due to his slightly unhealthy obsession with amassing intangible PlayStation silverware, and he now has over 1,000 Platinum pots weighing down the shelves of his virtual award cabinet. He does not care for Xbox Achievements.

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