How to sneak attack in Starfield
In space, no one can hear them scream...
Stealth has always been powerful in Bethesda games and Starfield is no exception. However, stealth and sneak attacks work a little differently in the vast reaches of the galaxy than they have before.
Previously, even the most unsubtle warrior, clattering around in heavy plate mail and dragging a greatsword, could drop into a stealthy stance and slip through the shadows undetected.
Starfield changes that. To even gain access to the ability to hide, you first have to level up your Stealth skill to rank 1. This adds the classic Stealth Indicator to the top of the screen, showing whether you are hidden, enemies are cautious of an unidentified presence, you’ve been detected by friendly characters or you’re in danger after being spotted.
On top of this, you used to be able to scum your way to max stealth by sneaking behind a static enemy for an hour until your stats were fully levelled. In Starfield though, you need to complete sneak attack challenges, then invest further skill points to reach the same heights.
It’s a much more rewarding system which is less open to abuse, but it does also mean you have to pull off a lot of sneak attacks, which can be finicky to get to trigger. Here’s what we did to score sneak attacks in Starfield.
How to sneak attack in Starfield
Once you’ve reached rank 1 stealth and gained access to the stealth indicator, press crouch to drop into a stealthy pose. From this position, make sure you’re in the “Hidden” or “Caution” status and remain undetected.
We’ve had the best luck triggering sneak attacks using suppressed weapons. This might be a bug, or deliberate design where enemies are hearing the noise an unsilenced shot makes and entering the danger status before it actually hits them for a sneak attack.
You can add a suppressor to your weapon at a weapon workbench, or keep a lookout for suppressed weapons in your loot. For more on the guns you want in your armory, head to our guide on the best Starfield weapons.
When a sneak attack is successful, you should see a small message in the top-right corner of the screen that says: “sneak attack for 2.1x damage” or similar. Score a few of these hits and you will be well on your way to ranking up your stealth skill.
That's it for our guide on how to sneak attack in Starfield. If you need more help adventuring in the Settled Systems, then we've got plenty more guides to turn to. For help with character building, check out our pages on the best Starfield armor and best traits. If you're stuck on a particular quest, then our guides to the Starfield Ryujin Industries questline, the Breaking the Bank quest and the Crimson Fleet questline should come in handy.