Starfield player finds real-world death cult Easter egg: “Heaven’s Gate in space”
Bethesda SoftworksThe release of Starfield on PS5 could see a major shift in the console gaming landscape.
While exploring the Settled Systems, a Starfield player found evidence of a death cult seemingly modeled after Jonestown and Heaven’s Gate.
The Jonestown Massacre in 1978 culminated in the deaths of nearly 1,000 people, all of whom moved to a Guyana compound and died via cyanide poisoning after “drinking the Kool-Aid.”
Members of the Heaven’s Gate religious cult suffered a similar fate in 1997, having been convinced that an alien spaceship would lead them to the kingdom of Heaven.
It would seem Starfield also plays host to a cult leader who talked folks into a deadly game of isolation.
Starfield players discover Heaven’s Gate cult in space
A Reddit user recently shared screenshots tied to the “death cult” they randomly stumbled across while exploring the Settled Systems. Evidently, a spaceship named Clemen’s Truth served as the cult’s base of operations.
The Redditor said everyone aboard the ship had died before their arrival. It’s obvious what’s, or who’s, at fault. In navigating the ship, the player uncovered a consumable item known as “Orange Juice of Transcendence,” which reduces health over time.
It’s seemingly a play on the fact that Jonestown members drank poisoned Flavor Aid. Meanwhile, the use of “Transcendence” and the spacecraft compound may be references to Heaven’s Gate.
In response to the Starfield death cult post, one person wrote: “I just found this tonight! Heavens gate IN SPACE!”
Another person also recalled the first time they encountered the scene: “I remember finding this. One of the notes will be about a dude wanting to bring his underage daughter and his family refusing.”
Others also applauded Starfield’s environmental storytelling on the ship. “Honestly this was one of my favorite encounters in the whole game. Environmental storytelling in there is top-notch,” reads one such replay.
The original poster also noted that players can find all the crew members dead in their beds with invitations among their belongings. “They were obsessed with the Star Child.”
There’s no telling what other terrors lie in the farthest reaches of the Settled Systems.
