Starfield was easily one of the most anticipated video game titles slated to launch into the marketplace. Fans waited years to get their hands on the game and in the middle of all that, Microsoft acquired Starfield. The purchase of Zenimax Media also meant that Bethesda would be under the control of Microsoft, which ultimately turned Starfield into a Microsoft exclusive. Players would either have to enjoy this game on a PC or an Xbox Series X/S console. Fortunately, on the bright side, if you were a subscriber to Xbox Game Pass, you would get this new hyped-up RPG at no additional cost.
Microsoft has been pushing Xbox Game Pass for quite some time now. The service opens up a massive catalog of video game titles for players to enjoy. Best of all, we knew that every Microsoft first-party title would land on the subscription service. That might have incentivized some players to go ahead and get their subscriptions ready for this RPG. If not, it might have been extremely tempting, knowing they would soon have their hands on Starfield. With that said, one of the arguments we hear about Xbox Game Pass is that it can cannibalize sales. Fortunately, it doesn’t look like Bethesda had any issues moving units.
Thanks to Gamerant, we’re finding out that a new Circana report had released a new statement suggesting Bethesda’s Starfield game was the top-selling game for the month of September and continues to see itself ranked high on the list of new releases. That is quite an accomplishment, with some other titles launched last month. Of course, that’s on top of the amount of individuals who took up Starfield from the Xbox Game Pass subscription services.
It should be interesting to see if there is any dropoff in terms of subscribers for Xbox Game Pass this month after some players had already gone through Starfield. But there’s always the possibility we will see a rise in numbers again when we start seeing DLC land for the game. Additionally, we know that mod support is coming to Starfield, which might also motivate players to either purchase a copy of the game or gain access to Starfield through their Xbox Game Pass subscription. Whatever the case, it might be reassuring that games can still turn a profit regardless if they are available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.
If you haven’t already picked up Starfield, the game is available on the PC and Xbox Series X/S platforms. With countless planets to explore, quests to take on, and a narrative that prompts players to make choices, you might be drawn into playing Starfield for the long haul. With that said, if you want more insight into the game, then we do have a Before You Buy video coverage, which you can view below.
