Right now, Starfield is stuck in somewhat of a limbo state. Bethesda's silence regarding future plans for the game has left players wondering when more content will arrive, if at all. There was once hope that modding communities would be able to keep the sci-fi title alive for years to come, but the Starfield Community Patch mod team struggling to find new members could be a bad sign. Since its launch, Starfield has been unable to capture the same spark of past Bethesda offerings, and the lack of willing mod volunteers might be the final straw.
Of course, there's no way to know exactly how much more gas Starfield has left in the tank, but the Starfield Community Patch team having a hard time finding replacement devs is definitely concerning. Current team members are leaving the project for a variety of reasons. One dev, Pickysaurus, revealed on Discord that most of their time has been taken up because of a new puppy, while other members have set the project aside out of lack of interest or moving on to play other games.
Starfield Making the Jump to PS5 Would Have One Obvious Upside
Assuming Starfield does indeed make the long-rumored pivot to PlayStation, it would be enhanced in at least one fairly obvious way.
Bethesda's Silence About Starfield's Future Also Raises Concerns
After the Shattered Space DLC, Bethesda Has Yet to Announce Another Expansion
- Shattered Space was released in September 2023.
- Bethesda has stated in the past that Starfield will get yearly expansions.
Plans can always change, but Bethesda's initial hopes for Starfield involved annual DLC releases. However, after the lukewarm response to Shattered Space, there has yet to be any word on another expansion. With Microsoft set to have a brand-new Xbox Games Showcase on June 8, it would be the perfect opportunity for Bethesda to reveal its next DLC for the space-faring RPG, but only time will tell. A fresh expansion could definitely be exciting to players who have stuck with the game, but it remains to be seen if it will be enough to draw in newcomers or those who have set the game aside.
There have been rumors that Starfield could be coming to the PS5, but this has yet to be confirmed.
Bethesda Games Have a History of Strong Mod Communities, But Starfield Has Yet to Capture the Same Attention
- The Starfield Community Patch mod has not been updated since September 2024.
- Community-supported mods for Bethesda titles like Skyrim and Fallout 4 continue to be updated years later.
With Skyrim being released all the way back in 2011 and Fallout 4 turning a decade old this year, one would think there wouldn't be a lot of attention given to these older games. However, passionate fans have clearly proven that this is not the case. Ex-Bethesda dev Nate Purkeypile recently claimed that lack of dev freedom is likely what has kept Starfield from hitting the same high notes as its predecessors. As Bethesda has grown, the studio's approach to game development has changed, which could be a big reason why Starfield has struggled to connect with longtime fans of the studio.
Bethesda's next game is The Elder Scrolls 6, which was officially announced back in 2018.
As Bethesda has grown, the studio's approach to game development has changed.
Questions About Starfield's Future Remain Unanswered
Between the lack of mod interest and Bethesda's silence, Starfield may be set to have a shorter future than intended. There's no way to know for sure, but the game's first two years have been a rocky start. Bethesda has been able to bounce back before, though. Fallout 76 was not well-received at launch, but it has since become a much stronger game that continues to keep players interested.
The upcoming Xbox Games Showcase may shed light on what lies in store for Starfield, but until then, there is no extra content in sight. Starfield is an ambitious idea with a lot of potential, and Bethesda can hopefully find a way to breathe new life into the sci-fi tale.
Starfield
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