Summary
Out of the countless deep space destinations players will visit throughout their time with Bethesda’sStarfield, few play quite as important a role in ensuring the wheels of industry keep on turning as Cydonia. Located on Mars, Cydonia is a cramped and crowded indoor city that serves as the industrial base for the game’sUnited Colonies faction. Though it may not have the same slick, sci-fi sheen seen in some ofStarfield’s other cities, Cydonia is vital to the continued existence of one of the game’s most militaristic faction. Responsible for churning out the materials and machines that fuel the United Colonies, the Martian city is one ofStarfield’s can’t-miss destinations.
What makes Cydonia so intriguing even when compared to larger locales likeStarfield’s New Atlantisisn’t just the key role that it plays in the economy of the Settled Systems, but also the distinct feel of the city. Built beneath a shield to protect its inhabitants from the harsh Martian atmosphere, Cydonia seems far closer to what the first real-world space settlements might look like than some of the game’s other high-tech hubs. Players who take the time to explore this industrial outpost will not only get an opportunity to peer into the past ofStarfield’s spacefaring societies, but also a better understanding of how the United Colonies holds onto its power.
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Starfield’s Martian Outpost of Cydonia Was One of Humanity’s First Homes in Space
Immediately upon entering Cydonia, it’s easy to see from its decidedly dilapidated appearance that the Martian outpost is far older than many of the other human-occupied locations players will visit inStarfield.While thematerials mined on Marsby the workers who call it home provide the building blocks for the futuristic cities and ships of the United Colonies, the city itself is a relic of the past. Founded in 2112 by Deimos Staryards Inc., Cydonia was one of the first locations settled by humanity as it took its earliest steps into the stars.
Unlike the carefully planned layouts of other big cities in the game, Cydonia is a multi-use maze of industrial, commercial, and residential facilities all cobbled together over the course of centuries. The cramped nature of the complex leaves little room for creature comforts, with even the city’s mayor forced to live in a condo smaller than the interior of many ofStarfield’s ships. While citizens can distract themselves from the claustrophobic surroundings by visiting the bars located on its upper and lower levels, the massive billboard counting the number ofhours without incident in Cydoniamakes it impossible to forget that it is first and foremost a city of industry.
Cydonia Provides the Machines and Materials That Power Starfield’s United Colonies
The relatively spartan appearance of Cydonia doesn’t just reflect the outpost’s advanced age, but also its primary reason for existence. Rather than being designed to give the humans of the far future a pleasant place to live, Cydonia is, for all intents and purposes, a massive machine built to meet the needs of the United Colonies. The raw materials mined on Mars are used to fuel the expansion ofStarfield’s Settled Systems, with priority given to the growth of United Colonies’ fleets.
Still serving as the company’s primary mining hub over two centuries after its founding, much of what is produced on Cydonia is sent to the Deimos Staryards’ off-planet manufacturing facility to construct the ships of the UC Navy. This reliable supply chain assures that the United Colonies can continue to grow its military presence to protect its interests and respond to the increased threats posed by thepirates of the Crimson Fleet.
With its wealth of resources giving it an irreplaceable role in the interstellar economy, Cydonia is one of the most important locations in all ofStarfield. While it may lack the aesthetic charms of some of the game’s other cities, without this Martian manufacturing hub, the Settled Systems’ continued growth would be practically impossible.
Starfieldis now available for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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