Will Starfield have co-op?

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Can you explore the galaxy with friends?

Promotional screenshot of Starfield weapons
(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Will Starfield have co-op?

Starfield will not support online or local co-op. Bethesda's upcoming sci-fi epic promises to deliver an immersive single-player experience on an astronomical scale. For fans hoping to share the adventure with friends, this, unfortunately, means Starfield won't feature multiplayer when it launches exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and PC on September 6, 2023. 

Why Starfield won't include co-op at launch

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(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Bethesda RPGs like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4 have historically been single-player. The pillars of the team's legendary formula focus on fulfilling the ultimate role-playing fantasy. While spinoffs, including Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls Online, have successfully incorporated robust online multiplayer mechanics, passionate fans adore Bethesda's commitment to solo play.

Read more

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- Starfield Direct: Here's what we've learned about Bethesda's sci-fi RPG
- Starfield does have a major problem, and it's not the Xbox frame rate

According to Starfield's game director Todd Howard, the undeniably ambitious sci-fi RPG will be Bethesda's biggest game to date. Players can fully customize their distinctive space crafts, engage with numerous notorious factions, and freely explore 1000 planets. With dynamic lighting cast from neighboring planets and moons, in addition to object placement that persists in perpetuity, the intricate systems incorporated in Starfield suggest multiplayer will be a tremendous challenge.  

The compounding complexity of Starfield should make for a captivating RPG solo players can get lost in for hundreds of hours. Unfortunately, outside of uploading screenshots of your sandwich collection on social media, you won't be able to share the space shenanigans with other players. 

Will Starfield ever get co-op?

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Officially, there are no plans to add co-op or multiplayer to Starfield. Bethesda meticulously built their long-awaited "space game," with single-player immersion as the design compass. While the chances of Bethesda adding native co-op support to Starfield are slim to none, the modding community could rise to the challenge and deliver a multiplayer option for fans.   

Starfield is scheduled to release on September 6, 2023, for Xbox Series X|S and PC. It’s also launching day one on Xbox Game Pass. If you're looking for something to get lost in while you wait, be sure to check out our list of the best RPGs on Xbox. 

Starfield

Starfield

Starfield boldly takes Bethesda's beloved RPG formula somewhere it's never been before. With deep customization and 1000 planets to explore, Starfield should keep players very busy this September.

Preorder from: Microsoft (Xbox & PC, Standard) | Microsoft (Xbox & PC, Premium)

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Miles Dompier
Miles Dompier

Miles Dompier is a Freelance Video Producer for Windows Central, focusing on video content for Windows Central Gaming. In addition to writing or producing news, reviews, and gaming guides, Miles delivers fun, community-focused videos for the Windows Central Gaming YouTube channel. Miles also hosts Xbox Chaturdays every Saturday, which serves as the Windows Central Gaming weekly podcast.

2 Comments Comment from the forums
  • J_lR_d
    I like that Bethesda keeps their multiplayer and single player experiences separate. I'm a big Elder Scrolls fan, and I loved Skyrim and Oblivion, but I also love playing Elder Scrolls Online. They are fundamentally different games and experiences but that is fine. I'm glad BGS doesn't "consolidate" that experience like so many developers have done nowadays.

    I'm really curious what ZOS is working on. It is supposedly a "space" MMO style game. Given that Bethesda has been pretty consistent with creating MMOs for their IPs I can't imagine them not doing an Starfield MMO. Like I said I love ESO but Starfield seems like 100x bigger and wider than Skyrim. I'm very curious to see what ZOS could do with it. I do think ZOS has done better with Elder Scrolls Online then BGS did with Fallout 76. Cautious optimism if this is true.
    Reply
  • GraniteStateColin
    J_lR_d said:
    I like that Bethesda keeps their multiplayer and single player experiences separate. I'm a big Elder Scrolls fan, and I loved Skyrim and Oblivion, but I also love playing Elder Scrolls Online. They are fundamentally different games and experiences but that is fine. I'm glad BGS doesn't "consolidate" that experience like so many developers have done nowadays.

    I'm really curious what ZOS is working on. It is supposedly a "space" MMO style game. Given that Bethesda has been pretty consistent with creating MMOs for their IPs I can't imagine them not doing an Starfield MMO. Like I said I love ESO but Starfield seems like 100x bigger and wider than Skyrim. I'm very curious to see what ZOS could do with it. I do think ZOS has done better with Elder Scrolls Online then BGS did with Fallout 76. Cautious optimism if this is true.
    Completely agree about the importance of the distinct single player and MMO experiences. There are many players, like you, who like both. For them, I bet you're right that there will eventually be an Elder Scrolls Online or Fallout 76 online MMO version of Starfield.

    But those do not take the place of a single player game. For me, if a game supports multiplayer, it's a negative, because the UI spends space on that support, which takes away from the single player game. Even Elden Ring suffers a bit for me, because of the multiplayer features and (useless to me) inventory items. I have no doubt that it's a net positive for From Software and would not suggest they should change just for me and other single-player fans, but it's still a negative to me personally. I deeply appreciate that there are companies focused on great single-player experiences like Bethesda and CDPR.
    Reply