If you are wondering why the UC (United Colonies) or Freestar Collective is attacking you in Starfield randomly, then you are not alone. Many players are going through the same issue, and sometimes, reverting to previous load files doesn’t help. After much research, playthroughs, and tests, you will be hunted down by UC or Freestar while entering their systems for many reasons. Today, we’ll analyze all these various reasons and help you to avoid them from assaulting you.
Why is UC & Freestar Collective Attacking You in Starfield
There are four main reasons why either UC (United Colonies) or Freestar Collective or both factions will be attacking you in Starfield:
- Committing crimes in the faction territories.
- Have a pending bounty on you by UC or Freestar Collective.
- Running Crimson Fleet missions (who are in hostility with UC or Freestar Collective).
- Attacking UC or Freestar Collective ships in mid of a space battle.
Committing Crimes in the Faction Territories
In Starfield, committing crimes such as stealing, smuggling, or piracy can have serious consequences. Law enforcement and factions will turn hostile towards you, resulting in immediate conflict with guards of both factions, bounties added to you, or even future hostility from said factions towards you. These are the main types of crimes you may have unwillingly committed while in faction territories:
- Murder of NPC Outside a Quest Requirement
- Piracy (stealing cargo from other traveling ships)
- Contraband Smuggling (in faction space)
- Pickpocketing or Stealing (then getting caught)
- Selling or Using Chems (then getting caught)
If you are caught doing any of the above crimes, you will face arrest after surrendering, and if you start a gunfight and don’t surrender, the factions will begin placing crime bounties on your head.
Also Note: Working against a faction’s goals or for one of their rival factions can sometimes get you a bounty from said faction.
Have a Pending Bounty on You by UC or Freestar Collective
So, as mentioned above, if you commit theft in the open, use pickpocket skills, or attack security or citizens within their area, factions will add bounties to your head. Open the starmap and move your mouse over a star system. Your bounty and the faction colonizing that system will be visible in your screen’s upper right corner.
You will be recognized and may also be attacked (if you don’t comply) when entering their space. Remember, bounties on your head are set by one of the major Factions that rule the Settled Systems, so these faction bounties will naturally apply to all star systems under these factions’ control.
Joining Crimson Fleet & Running Their Missions
There is a bug in-game for some players. Once you do any missions or join the Crimson Fleet, UC and Freestar Collective will tag you as an ‘enemy’ and start randomly attacking you in Starfield. As we could not replicate this bug, we believe this is how it was intended to be in the game before. But as you will be locked out of most ‘UC and Freestar’ faction missions and territories, Bethesda may have revered this later. So, for the players facing this issue, someone set the parameters to activate this version of the game. This is what we speculate, and we can be entirely wrong in this. But given the number of comments and Reddit posts, we can’t rule out the possibility.
Attacking UC or Freestar Collective Ships in Mid of a Space Battle
One of the worst luck in the game is when you jump to a star system under the UC or Freestar Collective system, another faction attacks them, and you accidentally attack the good guys. So now, UC or Freestar Collective may also attack you apart from the hostiles. And if you kill one of them, you will have a bounty on your head.
How to Stop the UC or Freestar Collective From Attacking You in Starfield
Here are a few steps you can try to stop the UC or Freestar Collective from attacking you in Starfield:
- Pay off your bounty. If you have a bounty with either faction, you can pay it off at any space station. Once your bounty is clear, the UC (United Colonies) or Freestar Collective will no longer be hostile towards you.
- Stop committing crimes against the faction. To avoid getting into trouble with either faction, it’s best to avoid committing crimes against them. This includes stealing from them, attacking their ships, and trespassing on their territory.
- Break your alliance with any factions hostile to the UC or Freestar Collective. If you are a victim of the bug we mentioned earlier, load to a previous save file and sever your ties to a faction hostile to the UC or Freestar Collective. Breaking your alliance with Crimson Fleet may stop the UC or Freestar Collective from attacking you. But for most players, this may not be the reason for the random attacks.
- Leave the UC or Freestar Collective system. If you are in a UC or Freestar Collective system and UC or Freestar Collective ships start attacking you, you can try leaving the system. This will stop the UC or Freestar Collective from attacking you.
- Be aware of your surroundings. In a UC or Freestar Collective system, be mindful of your surroundings and avoid any UC or Freestar Collective ships or personnel.
- Respect UC and Freestar Collective territory. Don’t trespass on UC or Freestar Collective territory or steal from UC or Freestar Collective ships.
- Pay off your bounties promptly. If you have a bounty with either faction, pay it off immediately.
That’s all we know about why the UC or Freestar is attacking you in Starfield randomly. While here, head to our Starfield wiki guide for location guides, walkthroughs, and more tips and tricks.
