Groundpounder is a side quest in Starfield. See how to unlock Groundpounder and get the Peacekeeper rifle among other rewards, how to complete it, and how to fix the bugs.

Groundpounder Rewards and Unlock Condition

How to Unlock and Rewards

Unlock Groundpounder Through a Distress Signal

You can unlock the Groundpounder quest through a distress call that you receive after visiting the Altair Star System for the first time.

Get the Peacekeeper Rifle as a Reward

The Peacekeeper is a powerful weapon and one of the best rifles in Starfield. Get the Peacekeeper after as a reward after completing the Groundpounder quest.

Peacekeeper - How to Get and Stats Overview

Groundpounder Walkthrough and Objectives

Main Objectives

1. Land at Research Outpost U3-09 on Altair II
2. Find Private Mahoney
3. Clear the Spacers Outside the Infirmary and Talk to Lezama
4. Find and Rescue Lieutenant Torres
5. Rescue Captain Myeong
6. Talk to Captain Myeong
7. Take Your Ship to the Research Camp on Altair II
8. Eliminate the Spacers at the Research Camp
9. Talk with Survivors
10. Talk to Lieutenant Torres
11. Defeat Spacers in Altair V's Orbit
12. Defeat Spacers in Altair I's Orbit
13. Land on Research Outpost U3-09
14. Defeat the Spacer Invasion
15. Talk to Lieutenant Torres

Land at Research Outpost U3-09 on Altair II

Travel to planet Altair II under the Altair System, and follow the quest marker to land on Research Outpost U3-09.

Find Private Mahoney

Once you land, exit the ship and follow the quest marker to find Private Mahoney. There will be Spacer Punk enemies outside your ship, so be prepared for battle! Defeat all of them to clear your path and head inside the research station.

Inside you'll find more Spacer enemies and dead bodies. Fight off any you come across and don't forget to loot along the way to gather more supplies!

Enter the Door to Research 01

From the entrance, enter the first door to the left marked Research 01 and head straight to the end of the room where there will be stairs that lead to a lower level.

Private Mahoney is Behind the Black Door

Head down the stairs and keep straight till the end of the hall where there is a Black Door on the right and a Spacer on the left. Open the black door to find Private Mahoney inside.

Clear the Spacers Outside the Infirmary and Talk to Lezama

After finding Mahoney, she asks you to defeat all the Spacer enemies around the Infirmary. She reminds you that the UC Marines are friendly, so don't to attack the Marines.

All enemies have a quest marker for you to track and defeat all of them. You will find Corporal Lezama and other civilians inside the door marked Comms Center.

Find and Rescue Lieutenant Torres

You will be given a door key that can open all except security doors. Head to the third floor and find Lieutenant Torres using the quest marker. Take some med packs around the Infirmary before you go.

Find Lieutenant Torres in the room with Sergeant Dasari, who will give you a security key that can open security doors.

Rescue and Talk to Captain Myeong

Head down the lower level and defeat all of the Spacers inside the Office room. After defeating all the enemies, talk to Captain Myeong.

Take Your Ship to the Research Camp on Altair II

Go back to your ship and take off, then land on the Research Camp located on the same planet.

Eliminate the Spacers at the Research Camp and Talk to Survivors

Spacers will be swarming around the Research Camp. Prepare for battle and defeat all of them. Once they are all defeated, enter through the airlock then the door to talk to the survivors inside.

Talk to Lieutenant Torres

Fast Travel back to your ship again and go back to the landing area where the quest marker should be. Then look for Lieutenant Torres who's just outside the ship.

Defeat Spacers in Altair V and Altair I's Orbit

Board your ship once more and take off into space. Defeat the Spacer ships around Altair V and Altair I's orbits.

Space Battles Combat Guide

Land on Research Outpost U3-09 and Defeat the Spacer Invasion

Return to the Research Outpost to find it has been invaded by more Spacers. Defeat the remaining enemies around the outpost and by their ships using the quest markers.

Talk to Lieutenant Torres

Once you've disposed of all the Spacers, head to the middle of the outpost where Lieutenant Torres is located.

How to Fix Groundpounder Bugs

Lezama Infirmary Door Bug Remove Any Bounty Avoid Attacking the UC NPCs Do Not Fast Travel Away from the Altair Star System Reload Save if Defeat the Spacer Invasion Objective is Bugged

Lezama Infirmary Door Bug

There is a bug where Lezama does not open the infirmary door even after you seemingly defeat all the spacers in the area. This could be because you may have skipped talking to Private Mahoney or an enemy spawned or fled behind a locked door.

Make Sure to Talk to Mahoney First

The quest progression may be bugged if you skipped talking to Private Mahoney. Make sure to find her first before heading up to Lezama in the upper floor.

↑ Find Private Mahoney ↑

Restart Game and Load an Earlier Save File

If you have cleared all the enemies and the door still would not open, then you can also try restarting your game and loading into a save before you entered the building. This resets how the area is loaded, and could help fix the bug.

Remove Any Bounty from the UC and Freestar Collective

Since the quest involves NPCs from United Colonies (UC) and Freestar Collective, be sure to remove any bounties from these two factions first before proceeding with the quest. There is a slight chance that the two factions will attack you if you have a bounty.

How to Remove Bounties

Avoid Attacking the UC NPCs

During the quest, two UC NPCs will assist you in defeating the Spacers inside the research camp. There is a possibility that you may receive a bounty if you accidentally attack them during the fight.

Avoid Using Incendiary and Explosive Weapons

Incendiary and explosive weapons cause a splash damage that can hit allies so it is recommended to avoid using them at this part and opt for rifles or melee weapons.

Do Not Fast Travel Away from the Altair Star System

When fighting the two groups of Spacers in ship combat in Altair V's orbit and in Altair I's orbit, some players reported that the second group disappeared after fast traveling to a different star system.

Upgrade Your Ship Before Starting the Quest

Make sure to upgrade your ship beforehand when attempting this side quest as you will need to defeat multiple spaceships in two planets as part of the objective.

If you are currently in this objective, you can set the difficulty to Very Easy to clear this part in order to avoid triggering this specific bug.

How to Upgrade Ship

Reload Save if Defeat the Spacer Invasion Objective is Bugged

During the last objective, you need to defeat all the Spacers at Research Outpost U3-09 and the ones that will appear from two ships. If the two ships do not spawn after clearing the Spacers in the research outpost, try reloading from a previous save.

All Bugs, Glitches, and Known Issues

Share Bugs and Fixes in the Comments

The walkthrough team has not encountered any of the bugs listed and cannot confirm it at this time.

If the following fixes have worked for you or if you have an alternative fix, you're welcome to share it in the comment section and we will make sure to confirm the fix!

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