Starfield is one of the most highly-anticipated games of the current age. Although Bethesda hasn’t always impressed audiences with its buggy releases and lengthy delays, 2011’s Skyrim was a cultural reset, with the title remaining one of the most beloved video games ever made. Fans can only imagine what “Skyrim in space” would look like, which is what Todd Howard himself described Starfield to be. After years of waiting, the title was most recently announced to be coming in early 2023. However, a recent alteration to the release date on the Steam database has fans wondering if this could change.
At this year’s Summer Game Fest in June, fans were finally treated to some real gameplay footage of the upcoming title. Since then, however, news has been scarce, which has led many to believe that an early 2023 release might not actually be in the cards. At the moment, Steam DB shows that on October 3, Starfield’s release date was changed from November 11, 2022 to December 29, 2023. While this could be a real release date, it’s also a commonly used placeholder.
One fan noted that releasing this blockbuster game after Christmas would be a strange decision on Bethesda’s part, while another speculated that the company might be preparing to announce a new date in the coming weeks. There’s not much to do except wait to hear something straight from the horse’s mouth.
Despite being called the most ambitious Bethesda title to date, information about Starfield has been slow to reach audiences. A brief teaser trailer was shown at Bethesda’s E3 2018 press conference, with the next in-game teaser not being shown until E3 2021. It was during this press event that the game was given a release date of November 11, 2022. Sadly, in May 2022, Bethesda announced that the game would be delayed until the first half of 2023.
Starfield will take place in The Settled Systems, an area that extends outward from the Solar System for nearly 50 light-years. In the year 2310, two factions–the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective–are engaged in all-out war. 20 years later, an uneasy peace has taken hold, and players will take on the role of a member of Constellation, an organization of space explorers. The title marks the first new IP from Bethesda in over 25 years.
Last week, Bethesda released a new video featuring musician Inon Zur playing the Starfield Theme. Zur is a powerhouse in the industry, writing tracks for Fallout 3, Dragon Age 2, Fallout 4, and many more beloved game titles.
Starfield was previously announced to be releasing for Xbox Series X/S and PC in early 2023. Despite the newest Steam update, an official announcement is the only way to know for sure when we can expect to play Bethesda’s next RPG masterpiece.
