It's been quite a long time since we've heard anything new about Bethesda Game Studios' 2023 space exploration RPG Starfield, but now the developer has finally given players of the Xbox and PC exclusive an update — and it sounds like some big things are coming later this year.
Responding to a fan asking Bethesda to communicate its plans for future content releases, the studio took to social media to fill the community in.
"We know you're eager for an update, and we truly appreciate your passion for Starfield. The team has been hard at work, and while we're not ready to share specific details just yet, we have a lot of exciting things planned for the game this year that we can't wait to talk about when the time is right," the developer wrote.
"We’re always listening and taking your feedback to heart. Thanks for being part of this journey with us," it added.
Notably, Starfield hasn't gotten a patch since November of last year when it got some bugfixes, performance improvements, an update to make Creations (mods) from Verified Creators achievement-friendly, and a free new rover vehicle.
Based on the wording of this communiqué, it sounds like whatever's coming in 2025 will be major. It's possible that we'll see its second expansion arrive this year — Todd Howard confirmed more DLC is coming in an interview — along with other updates that add smaller pieces of content.
Next to nothing is known about Starfield's next DLC officially, though it's rumored to be titled "Starborn" because ZeniMax Media trademarked the term last July. I won't spoil Starfield's main questline here, but those who have played it know that that word refers to a very noteworthy group of people in the game's universe. Presumably, this expansion would focus on that faction if it truly is called Starborn.
Starfield's first expansion, Shattered Space, received mixed overall reviews from critics and content creators, with many feeling that it was decent, but ultimately uninspired. The DLC has an even worse reception with the wider community, though, with Steam user reviews in particular "Mostly Negative" to this day. Most criticize Shattered Space for an overabundance of bland fetch quests, a disappointingly short main questline, and barely having any new enemies or types of gear to use.
Indeed, Shattered Space largely seemed to fail to renew interest in Starfield, which itself garnered lots of mixed feelings from critics and players alike (2015's Fallout 4 was almost beating its player count). While most agree that Starfield's concepts and action gameplay mechanics are enjoyable and engaging, many feel that the game's 1,000-planet universe is far too large for its own good and that it's severely lacking in roleplaying depth.
Between the underwhelming launch of Shattered Space in September, the lack of recent updates for Starfield, and the relative radio silence from Bethesda until now, it hasn't exactly been a great time to be a fan of the studio's newest RPG. Hopefully, what the developer has cooking for 2025 will be worth the wait, though; an impressive DLC similar to Dawnguard or Dragonborn from Skyrim or Fallout 4's Far Harbor could do a ton to drive players back to Starfield, and so could substantial patches released at a steady cadence.
Starfield is exclusively available on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PCs through either Steam or the Xbox PC app, and since it's a first-party Xbox game, you can play it — but not Shattered Space — through Xbox Game Pass. Alternatively, it's purchasable for $69.99; note that right now, the Steam version is going for $42.59 at CDKeys and the Xbox Play Anywhere one is just $41.99 at Microsoft. The Premium Edition that includes the first DLC is also on sale for $65.79 at CDKeys (Steam) and $64.99 at Microsoft (Xbox/PC). Shattered Space is discounted on PC, too, with its price just $25.79 at CDKeys.
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