Secrets and Hidden Details in New Atlantis: 8 Things You Should Know About Starfield

The capital of the United Colonies, New Atlantis, initially appears to be a utopian paradise, even though the founders seem to have forgotten what happened to the namesake. After leaving the mining outpost on Vectera, this radiant metropolis becomes your next destination in Starfield, although you are free to go wherever else you desire.

Upon entering, you will discover that there is more to New Atlantis than meets the eye, ranging from the convoluted bureaucratic systems of the government to the hidden underworld of The Well. Whether you are exploring the city's glamorous facade or conducting business there, here are some hidden details and secrets that you may have missed in New Atlantis.

8 Argos Extractors Office

Visiting a company's headquarters is rarely an impressive event in the real world, and while this holds true to some extent in Starfield as well, the elevator in the Valberg building allows you to reach the right floor and visit your former employers, and even report the pirate attack on Vectera.

This small detail contributes significantly to making New Atlantis truly feel like a capital city where you can find all the major companies of the settled systems, and it turns your previous job at Argos into more than just the introductory segment of the game. Furthermore, the office proudly displays some rare resources that are practically waiting to be reutilized by a fearless space traveler like yourself.

7 Jemison’s Namesake

New Atlantis is located in the Alpha Centauri system, one of the closest systems to Earth's solar system on the game's map. While you may have noticed the planet Gagarin, named after the world's first cosmonaut, the other planets in the system are also named after a variety of real astronauts.

Of particular note is Jemison, named after Mae Jemison, who became the first African-American woman in space in 1992. She later appeared as Lieutenant Palmer in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1993, becoming the first of several astronauts to guest star on the show.

6 The Hunter’s Haunt

The Viewport is one of the first places you will discover in New Atlantis. It is a bar located in the spaceport area where you can get drinks, take on missions, or settle your bounties. Here, you will also find many potential crew members or followers, both named and unnamed, whom you will recruit to man your ships and outposts. Of particular note is "The Hunter."

A mysterious figure lurking in the background of the bar can be spoken to, but little additional information is revealed about "The Hunter." Whoever or whatever he may be, The Hunter appears both intelligent and dangerous. While he may seem calm, you certainly hope not to cross paths with him under the wrong circumstances.

5 Steal From ATMs

Space exploration is not cheap, so most settled systems rely on more traditional industries like retail, hospitality, and operating zero-gravity casinos. As these options may not be particularly appealing, you might occasionally look for opportunities to supplement your income while shopping in the commercial district of New Atlantis.

A handy trick for any stealthy space traveler is that the city's ATMs can be unlocked by those skilled in picking advanced locks or higher. With several of these ATMs scattered throughout the city, the contents of these convenient cash machines can be yours, provided you don't get caught cracking their locks. GalBank won't even notice!

4 The Lodge’s Secret Exit

The Lodge is the main headquarters of Constellation and is located in a quiet corner of the city. Although Constellation is an adventurer's guild, the Lodge is a safe place that can only be accessed with the Chronomark Watch provided to you by Barrett. It contains a fully equipped workshop for all your equipment upgrades.

Exploring the basement of the building reveals this workshop and a secondary exit, presumably reserved for emergencies, which takes an undesirable route through the sewer before emerging at The Well. An even more surprising discovery is that Cora Coe, the daughter of Constellation member Sam Coe, has her bedroom in this humble basement level, presumably after falling out of favor with Sarah.

3 Helena Chambers: Space Karen

The former administrator of the United Colonies Starstation RE-939, a civilian research station overrun by Va'Ruun fanatics, Helena Chambers can initially be found at the spaceport of New Atlantis. She escaped with a shuttle after abandoning the station's residents to save her own life during the attack.

Her selfishness comes back to haunt her as her failure to follow the UC evacuation protocol turns her into a victim of the very system she once used to control others, and her authority is revoked by MAST due to her mistakes. While many might assume that her story ends there, Chambers is forced to take a position at Terrabrew where she continues to intimidate anyone who approaches her, albeit now in a position of lesser power.

2 Back Door To House Va’Ruun

After the faction's retreat into seclusion and considering the devastation left behind by the Snake God fanatics in the galaxy, the House Va'Ruun's message in New Atlantis has been abandoned. It is located near the MAST building and is deteriorating rapidly, contrasting with its once well-maintained surroundings.

With its inaccessible main entrance, the message seems to be a classic example of Bethesda content cut, likely intended to have its own questline. Whether this is the case or not, the message is actually accessible, but only as part of the UC Vanguard quest "Friends Like These." Through a discreet door near the GalBank building, you enter the overgrown interior of the abandoned message and uncover the secrets of this mysterious cult firsthand.

1 Loot For Saanvi

Completing the UC Vanguard questline comes with its own rewards, and citizenship is at the forefront. Once you become a UC citizen, you can purchase real estate in the capital and become a resident yourself. The lowest rung on this real estate ladder is an apartment, which you can acquire for 30,000 credits and is located, as expected, in The Well.

Even if you don't own the apartment, you can access the balcony with some parkour skills, from where you can jump onto some pipes that lead to an air vent. This opens up to a hidden room with loot just waiting to be taken. Next to it is a slate board titled "For Saanvi," stating that the UC will be searching for the loot as it belongs to them. If you pick it up (after all, free loot is free loot), you'll teach both the UC and Saanvi a valuable lesson: Finders Keepers!