Star Wars Genesis is Rebuilding Starfield From the Ground Up to Deliver a True Star Wars RPG

Star Wars Genesis is becoming increasingly difficult to describe as a simple Starfield mod, especially after another major update added even further adjustments. The total conversion still technically requires Starfield, with Bethesda’s game still providing the foundation underneath everything.

However, after years of development and constant updates, Genesis is starting to look more like a standalone Star Wars RPG built on Starfield’s engine. The project has gradually replaced more of the original game’s systems, content, and visual elements to create an experience that feels increasingly separate from its Bethesda foundation.

The project has received another huge update with version 8.8.3, following the already substantial 8.8.2 update released in August. 

Instead of simply adding more Star Wars-themed textures and replacing a few weapons or characters, the developer continues to remove elements that remind you that Starfield is underneath the experience. The developer is adding new locations, quests, characters, ships, Force abilities, dialogue, and gameplay systems while rewriting or removing older Starfield content.

That approach is important because large conversion projects can often lose their illusion when you eventually run into something that clearly belongs to the original game. You might see Stormtroopers, Star Wars weapons, and familiar locations, but then an old quest or piece of dialogue suddenly reminds you that you are still playing Starfield. 

More than 200 interior and exterior props have been replaced, including actual buildings, making this the biggest prop-replacement pass Genesis has received so far. Airlocks have also been replaced with energy shields, which is not just a visual change because you can now move directly through them instead of waiting through Starfield’s original airlock sequence.

The changes now extend well beyond environmental assets. Genesis has its own rewritten main story, separate Imperial and Rebel storylines, original characters, companion relationships, and new dialogue that keeps expanding with each update. The previous 8.8.2 update added Act 2 of the new main story, including missions such as Bait and Switch, Death Deal, and Far Outsiders.

The current version includes four new Act 2 quests and more than 2,000 lines of companion dialogue. Companions are also becoming increasingly disconnected from their original Starfield versions, with new conversations built around what is actually happening in Genesis. 

The project adds personal questions and backstories, and decisions made during the Imperial and Rebel storylines can now affect companion affinity instead of relying on Starfield’s original outcomes. This gives your choices more weight and makes companion relationships feel more connected to the new stories.

Another interesting part of the project is that the developer is actually removing content instead of constantly adding to the game. 

Some old Starfield quests are being disabled because they do not fit the new setting, particularly generic fetch quests and leftover content that would otherwise create more work for the developer. The idea is to keep that material out of Genesis until something more appropriate can eventually replace it.

This also seems connected to how the developer wants saves to work in the future. You should be able to keep a Genesis save, play through the currently available content, stop for several months, and then return after another major update without constantly having your save destroyed by changes to existing quests. 

The galaxy itself is also changing. Previous updates have converted planets and entire systems, with work continuing on locations including Old Mantel, Pu, and Kirros as other areas are moved around to prepare them for future Star Wars content. Narcidar has also received improved planet textures and additional changes designed to make it function more like the lawless Hutt-controlled location it is supposed to be.

Changes to Narcidar include removing Rebel security and adjusting contraband rules. Local enforcers now allow contraband, and the old Spice scan at the city entrance has been removed. Information about the city has also been rewritten to fit the setting being created for Genesis, rather than relying on Starfield’s original worldbuilding.

The developer has also started laying the groundwork for a larger overhaul of Shattered Space. That content isn't available yet, so you can't experience it in the project yet, but NPC replacement work and the framework needed to convert the expansion have already started. If the current development pace continues, that could eventually become another substantial part of Genesis.

The actual gameplay is changing just as much as the world itself. Outposts can now be properly raided, with scavengers and other hostile groups attacking the locations you have built. Ignoring those attacks too long can make things worse, as enemies can steal resources and force you to track them down at their base to recover what they took.

The faction system can make these encounters even larger if you have made yourself an enemy of the Empire. 

Imperial raids can begin in orbit with an Imperial light cruiser and fighter ships, and if you do not deal with the threat, the attack can eventually move to the ground. Stormtroopers can then attack your outpost, and losing the fight results in lost resources.

These mechanics make your relationship with the different factions more meaningful because they aren't simply cosmetic Star Wars changes. Your decisions can now lead to situations that feel more connected to the Star Wars setting. Instead of just looking like Star Wars, Genesis is increasingly trying to make the systems underneath the game behave like a Star Wars experience.

Ship combat has also received a significant overhaul. Ships are now faster, boost acceleration has increased, turning at speed has improved, and target acquisition happens more quickly. Targeting range has also been expanded, while target locks remain active for longer, and these changes apply to enemy ships as well as the player’s ship.

The result should be faster space combat that feels less sluggish than Starfield’s original system. Genesis has also added a new YTS27 Corsair on Donosis, and ship building is less frustrating, with vanilla ship parts available through vendors instead of forcing you to travel the galaxy looking for specific components.

Force-sensitive characters are receiving more attention as well. 

A new double-jump ability is tied to Force sensitivity, while Force Repulse is being rebuilt as a proper 360-degree stagger ability with new sounds. The developer also plans to continue improving its visual effects and may eventually allow stronger versions to disintegrate enemies.

Force Push and Repulse abilities used by AI characters now have appropriate sounds, while lightsabers have received additional work. Their audio has been made louder, saber impacts now produce effects closer to what you see in games such as Jedi Survivor, and most blaster impacts now include smoke.

The newest Genesis files also include a much larger lightsaber package than before, showing that this part of the project is continuing to receive significant attention. Blaster effects have also improved, with bolts no longer awkwardly stretching as they travel farther away. Their glow has been strengthened, while red and yellow bolts can now create different sparks depending on the angle and physics of an impact.

There are also new first-person pistol animations that use one-handed handling instead of Starfield’s original two-handed animations. None of these changes would necessarily transform the experience on their own, but together they help combat move further away from simply being Starfield with Star Wars models placed over the original weapons. 

The galaxy map has also been cleaned up, with systems now displaying more consistently and the overall presentation being changed. You can also cruise directly to destinations from the intersystem map, removing another small interruption that previously reminded you of Starfield’s underlying systems. 

That is why 2026 has been such an important year for Genesis.

Earlier this year, the Imperial storyline was rewritten into an Imperial agent campaign involving a Rakul threat and characters such as Grand Moff Tarkin and Grand Admiral Thrawn. Since then, the project has added more original story content, planets, locations, companion rewrites, thousands of dialogue lines, lightsabers, Force abilities, ships, combat changes, interface adjustments, and environmental replacements.

The developer has even been working through smaller elements such as loading screens, skill descriptions, backgrounds, traits, medical items, crew skills, and remaining terminology to remove more traces of Starfield from the experience. 

With version 8.8.3 continuing that same approach, Genesis is moving further away from being a simple conversion and closer to its Star Wars RPG built on top of Bethesda’s engine. The project still needs Starfield to run, but the amount of original content being added and the amount of Bethesda’s original material being replaced are making that distinction increasingly difficult to ignore.