Summary
- Gamers can start preloading Bethesda's highly anticipated space RPG Starfield on August 9, ahead of its September 6 release date.
- The game's massive 125GB file size makes preloading crucial to avoid server overload issues similar to Baldur's Gate 3's launch.
- Bethesda aims to deliver a bug-free experience with Starfield, with Xbox head Matt Booty promising it will have the fewest bugs of any game released by the developer so far.
Gamers eagerly anticipating Bethesda’s upcoming space-faring RPG Starfield will soon be able to preload it to their console or PC. Formally announced at an E3 presentation in 2018, Starfield is expected to be a groundbreaking release for the Maryland-based developer and will be its first new IP in more than 25 years. Expectations are so high, in fact, that some studios have even delayed the release dates for their games so as not to compete with Starfield.
The game is slated to release on September 6, 2023, for Xbox Series X/S and PC, and there has already been some high-end merch launched to celebrate the game’s long-awaited arrival. In June, Microsoft revealed a special edition Starfield- themed controller and wireless headset, after leaked images of the items had floated around online for months. Bethesda also shared details about the Starfield Constellation Edition, which comes with a LPV6 Chronomark watch that replicates the wristwatch featured in the game.
According to information leaked on a few online storefronts like Amazon, gamers impatient to jump into the world of Starfield will be able to satiate their restlessness a bit by preloading the game beginning on August 9. Given Starfield’s file size of 125GB, the more people who download the game ahead of time, the better. Baldur’s Gate 3 launched on August 3 with no preloading, and Steam’s servers going down on that date is mostly attributed to the huge number of players attempting to download its 150GB at the same time.
Along with Mortal Kombat 1, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, it’s fair to say that Starfield is one of the most anticipated games of this Fall 2023 season. With that status likely comes a lot of stress for the team at Bethesda to deliver come September 6. In the past, gamers have learned that some of the most hyped-up games – like Anthem, Cyberpunk 2077, and No Man’s Sky in 2016 – can lead to the greatest disappointment, which dings community trust in the industry.
Bethesda seems to be working hard to forego such an outcome, and Xbox head Matt Booty has claimed that Starfield will have the fewest bugs of any game released by the developer to date. For some gamers, that’s a big promise, considering that players are still finding new bugs in Skyrim after nearly 12 years. But Bethesda even delayed Starfield by nearly a year to get in that extra round of spit and polish, and a gaggle of gamers are looking forward to enjoying the end result.
Starfield releases on September 6 on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Insider Gaming