Starfield fans declare hollow cube ships to be "canon" after video emerges of the developers using a little-known ship-building trick

Starfield trailer
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Starfield fans now consider hollow cube ships an approved ship-building technique after developers at Bethesda were spotted using the little-known yet highly effective technique.

Shortly after Starfield's launch, footage emerged of a player-created spacecraft dubbed the 'unbeatable ship'. The edges are structured like a giant cube, while the middle of the vessel is completely empty. Frankly, it looks more like the beginnings of a ship than the final result, and it's certainly not going to win any awards for its looks, but when it comes to performance, it's second to none. 

the (by AI) unbeatable ship (they shoot through the middle) from r/Starfield

You see, the enemy AI typically aims at the center of a ship, but as this is hollow, they can't target it effectively, so their shots end up missing most of the time. It's both a simple and brilliant technique that makes battles in space a breeze.

Up until this point, some may have considered it a cheap way to achieve victory, but it's now deemed a viable technique after developers were spotted using the very same method in promotional footage for the game.

Over on the Starfield subreddit, user DoragonHunter posted an image taken from the Starfield Direct showcase. Take a look at the screen, and you'll see the folks at Bethesda have built their very own hollow cube ship.

So even the Bethesda developers even use/show the center ship exploit. (Shown In Starfield Direct - Gameplay Deep Dive) from r/Starfield

In the comments, fans are delighted that the method has been officially validated. "So this is canon and we should strive to make the best-looking ships that exploit this glitch," one wrote. Another replied, "A good canon explanation could be that ship targeting computers default to the center of mass, so some mad lads fly a donut ship." Spurred into action by this revelation, a third said, "I'm making a halo now."

The shipbuilder isn't just useful for building game-breaking vessels. In the months since Starfield's launch, we've seen players use it to make a Star Wars Imperial Destroyer so epic that it lags the game and needs a 21-page how-to guide and to recreate Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater's iconic long ladder scene.

Check out our Starfield ship customization and building guide for more on making spaceships in Bethesda's space-based RPG.

Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.