The fact that I'll be able to explore so many detailed worlds from my couch is incredible enough. I'm not stressed about the framerate.
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)What you need to know
- Starfield first launched back on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC in September 2023.
- According to game director Todd Howard, the first expansion, Shattered Space, is planned to launch later in the fall.
- Additional updates for the game are planned to arrive soon, including one that will be announced in the coming week.
We now have a slightly better idea of when to expect DLC for Bethesda Game Studios' science-fiction role-playing game.
That's thanks to game director Todd Howard, who spoke with Greg Miller on the Kinda Funny Gamescast on Monday. While Starfield's Shattered Space expansion was previously confirmed to arrive in 2024, Howard noted that it'll be launching in the fall, with future game updates planned to launch much sooner.
Starfield first launched in September 2023 across Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC. Shattered Space is the first upcoming DLC pack, and will include new story content for players to explore. Shattered Space is included in the Premium Edition of Starfield, as well as the Premium Edition Upgrade for anyone that initially bought the standard edition or is choosing to play through Xbox Game Pass.
What is coming in Starfield updates?
Howard also confirmed in the interview that the next update for Starfield will be announced in the next week and arriving shortly after. A large team at Bethesda Game Studios is continuing to work on updates for Starfield, with previously-confirmed features including City Maps and a new way of traversal. Howard added in the interview that other additions players can look forward to include a new display mode on console, new shipbuilding features, and some surprises.
Outside of these features, Bethesda Game Studios is also working on a new version of the Creation Kit. While there's no full release date just yet, this toolkit is now in the hands of some modders, according to Howard. The Creation Kit is a version of the tools used by the team when building games, making it easier for modders to create mods and share them with others. Xbox console players will also be able to use compatible mods, similar to the system first introduced with Fallout 4 and later expanded to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Analysis: Looking forward to it
I put dozens of hours into Starfield last year, and I'm looking forward to doubling or tripling that number when these updates and Shattered Space arrive later in the year. Between Starfield and the Fallout resurgence happening right now, it's a great time to be jumping into Bethesda's games.
The news that Shattered Space is coming in the fall isn't particularly surprising, and I'd personally been guessing for a while that it would timed to coincide around the one-year anniversary of the game. As for the new display mode, my guess is that it's a 40 FPS quality mode similar to the one recently introduced in the Fallout 4 current-generation update.
