Why is your Starfield Suit Protection Depleted?

The diverse galaxy of planets in Starfield is home to a huge variety of biomes, environments and weather systems. And while it might seem like the summer sun is trying to kill you in a lot of places around the world, sometimes in Starfield the planet actually is hostile - actively wearing down your equipment until you get the “suit protection depleted” message.

Your suit in Starfield protects you from the extreme cold of outer solar system moons, the intense radiation of planets with a thin atmosphere and the searing heat of anything that’s orbit takes it close to its star.

Here’s what you need to know about what to do when your suit protection is depleted.

Starfield Suit Protection Depleted

More so than other games in Bethesda’s back catalogue, Starfield is a life-sim set in space. This means you have a whole host of environmental hazards to contend with, including super-heated acid rain, toxic gas and frigid temperatures.

When your Suit Protection is depleted it can no longer protect you against these hazards and your character will start to accumulate “afflictions” - negative status effects which reduce your damage output, lower your ability to sprint and jump and even steadily drain your health.

The most common type of environmental damage which depletes your suit protection is corrosive or toxic gas which spews from natural vents in the ground. Walking over these geysers, to collect their resources or just by accident, will quickly damage your suit. As well as damage, you will also receive lung damage which can give you a cough and other ill effects.

If your suit protection is depleted without any obvious reason, this is probably because the planet you’re exploring is constantly being hammered by high amounts of solar radiation. This harmful kind of radiation constantly puts your suit in a depleted state, meaning any contact with environmental hazards will likely result in an affliction.

Alternative, harmful weather like acid rain can also have this effect, only worse. While solar radiation will leave you susceptible to additional hazards, acid rain will eventually wear through your suit and start to cause harm all by itself. This can lead to blisters which impair your movement, which will eventually start to bleed and drain your health constantly.

To regenerate your suit protection, you need to find shelter in a protective environment and let it recharge. This can be inside your ship, a cave, an abandoned research facility or any other kind of structure.

Luckily, your companions are unaffected by these difficulties.

If you find yourself sick, all you need to do is look at the icon your status condition displays and take an Aid item with a matching icon. For example, blisters have a red icon which can be healed with bandages.