If there’s one thing you should take away from all the Starfield content we’ve seen ahead of Starfield’s release date, it’s this: there’s going to be a lot of content in this RPG. In fact, there might be too much. With a thousand-odd Starfield planets, almost-certainly hundreds of characters, and more weapons than we care to count to loot, we’re expecting players to spend quite a lot of time with this one. Although, fans have spotted a certain Space Rock in the background of some shots that might just change that to the point of driving you away. If you’ve played a decent amount of Skyrim, you’ll know what we’re talking about – and, we’re sorry in advance.
Eagle-eyed self-proclaimed Spacer ‘ReasonableDwarf‘ has shared a screenshot from Bethesda’s recent-ish Starfield Direct showcase on Reddit highlighting the fact that there’s a strange ornament labelled “Space Rock” on someone’s desk. Just, stay with us here.
At first glance, this is nothing special – it’s just some rock with a dumb name. Okay, “dumb” is a little harsh, but it does little to tell us anything about this rock – other than it’s from space. In a game like Starfield, that’s not too surprising. However, when you look at it, the angular geometric shapes making it up do look quite a lot like the infamous Meridia’s Beacon from Skyrim. Yes, that Meridia’s Beacon.
Want to know what we mean? Just take a look for yourself below. It’s not outrageous to think that this rock would change color a little bit over a few hundred – maybe thousand – years. If you were displaying it, you may have even decided to polish it a bit? For all we know, the gray shades of Meridia’s Beacon are just dust. You do find it lying about in some old chest most of the time, to be fair.
A quest item that triggers The Break of Dawn after reaching level 12 in Skyrim, Meridia’s Beacon has become something of a meme over the years thanks to the fact that, rather obnoxiously, Meridia herself says “a new hand touches the beacon” every time you pick it up. Then, throughout the quest itself, she continues to “guide” you with her booming voice. At first, it’s quite exciting – an interesting new way to receive quest information. However, it quickly becomes a bit of a joke.
If you want to know what we’re on about, the raw gameplay footage that is, you can check it out below. However, there are plenty of memes online if you’d rather that.
What does this have to do with Starfield beyond the fact that the two look similar? Well, it might not mean anything. However, it may also be something that hints Starfield is set in the same universe as Skyrim. Our biggest fan is back, after all. We know that still sounds like a stretch, but there is evidence to suggest that the Fallout series and The Elder Scrolls series are set in the same universe – and we’re certainly expecting to see quite a few references and Easter eggs in a game as big as Starfield.
If you’re wondering how many years between Skyrim and Starfield there are, though, as guidance, we can’t help you there. Skyrim is set in the year 4E 201, 200 years after the events of Oblivion. What does that mean in relation to our calendar? It’s anyone’s guess. However, you’d have to imagine that it’s quite a few hundred years ago given the fact that there are dragons flying about. Starfield, however, is set in the year 2310. If it’s plausible-enough to think Skyrim and Fallout are set in the same universe, we also think it’s quite plausible that Starfield is set in that universe’s future, too.
The fact that a decorative item resembling Meridia’s Beacon is labelled as just “Space Rock” in Starfield could actually be a clever dig at the item itself, which – while Meridia herself deems it important and valuable – is really just an annoyance. Sure, the quest itself ends up being worthwhile (as you get the Dawnbreaker one-handed sword), but Meridia’s ethereal commentary is enough to put any adventurer off.
You can see the first Space Rock at the 42:45 mark in the video below, but who knows how many more are hiding in there?
The fact that it looks like there’s going to be more than one Space Rock decoration in Starfield, though, suggests that this isn’t actually Meridia’s Beacon itself. She does make it seem like this is the only one in Skyrim, anyway.
However, it could also be another dig at the item which – deemed important and valuable – is just one of several beacons. A Daedric Prince, we’re not sure we should trust Meridia at any point – let alone when it comes to the value of the strange rock she speaks through (which, ironically, isn’t valuable at all in-game).
While Starfield’s Curiosity cameo could signal more celestial curios in-game, we think it’s safe to assume that we’re going to see some Easter eggs relating to other Bethesda IPs in-game too. If not, you could probably use the game’s extensive ship customization options to make your own references. You can turn your Starfield ship into a Gundam-like mech, if you want, so who knows what else this detailed feature will let you create?
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.