by theygamesWhen is the Starfield release date? It was officially going to be in November 2022, but Bethesda recently announced a Starfield delay into 2023. Thankfully, we still got a pretty decent showing of the new open-world game at the Xbox and Bethesda showcase over the Summer.
We haven’t really heard much about the game since, mind, which has left the Starfield community a bit thirsty for new information, but I’m sure Bethesda won’t keep us in the dark for long. Whenever the Starfield release date ends up being, I’m sure it will be worth the wait. Here’s what we know so far.
Starfield release date window
The Starfield release date window is scheduled for the “first half” of 2023.
Originally, it was supposed to release on November 11, 2022, but in May 2022 Bethesda announced that the space game is now delayed into 2023. Considering Starfield was first announced back in 2018, I’m sure we can wait a bit longer.
Starfield pre-order
Starfield is available to pre-order at select retailers. It’s currently available to pre-order via GAME in the UK, and GameStop in the US.
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Starfield Game Pass is also a thing; it will be coming to PC Game Pass (as well as Xbox Game Pass for console players), which means you’ll get instant access to the open-world game from day one. Game Pass subscribers don’t need to pre-order, and we imagine they will be able to pre-load Starfield in the run-up to release, at the very least.
Is Starfield an Xbox exclusive?
Starfield will be an Xbox and PC exclusive, as Microsoft has agreed to a $7.5 billion deal to buy Bethesda’s parent company, ZeniMax Media.
In a blog post announcing the acquisition, head of Xbox Phil Spencer mentions his excitement for Bethesda’s upcoming games – “some announced and many unannounced”, including Starfield.
Starfield gameplay
The original Starfield announcement trailer came out a long time ago in 2018. Since then, we got a Starfield teaser trailer from June 2021, and a much bigger showcase of gameplay in June 2022.
Starfield features
The Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 gave us an in-depth look at Starfield’s mechanics and systems. The gameplay demo starts on a bug-infested planet where the player mines iron from a cave before heading into the Kreet Research Lab. Here, we find that the Crimson Fleet, one of the many Starfield factions, is plundering for treasure. These pirates are hostile, giving us a chance to see some Starfield guns in action, such as the Grendel machine gun. The combat looks very similar to Fallout 4’s, except there’s no VATS system to rely on.
After a briefing from the Starfield Constellation faction leader about an artefact we dug up, we get some introductions with the other faction leaders who tell us what they stand for. We also see some more hostile aliens, from dinosaur-like creatures with mandibles, to eldritch horrors skulking the corridors of an abandoned facility.
Game director Todd Howard then reveals the character creation tool, and the many Starfield backgrounds and Starfield traits your astronaut can start with on their journey through the cosmos. The gameplay gives us a glimpse of the Starfield skills and a brief introduction to Starfield Research Laboratory projects.
Finally, there’s a section dedicated to Starfield base building, including the ability to design and fly your own spaceship. In addition to space combat, this spaceship will be handy for exploring the many Starfield planets in the known universe, over 1,000 of them according to Howard. In an IGN developer interview with Howard, he confirms that Starfield features some procedural generation but that the team at Bethesda “have done more handcrafting in this game, content-wise, than any other game”.
If you’re looking for further insights into the space game’s world then Bethesda also dropped some concepts for a few of the Starfield cities we’ll be able to visit, including the game’s biggest settlement, New Atlantis. If you’re wondering how long Starfield is, we’ve got some theories about that you can check out.
Starfield multiplayer
Will Starfield have multiplayer? The short answer is no. The long answer is still no, but if you want proof then we direct you to this Develop: Brighton Digital conference session from 2020 where Todd Howard confirms that Starfield will be a solo experience. If you don’t want to watch the whole thing, Howard references Starfield multiplayer (or lack thereof) around the 45 minute mark.
That’s everything we know about the Starfield release date. It’s still a long wait until November and we can’t wait for more news. Check out the latest on The Elder Scrolls 6 and The Witcher 4, if you’re after more epic RPG games that haven’t released yet.