Starfield release date delayed: Everything we know so far about the sci-fi RPG

Bethesda Game Studios explained the reason behind the delay in a statement on Twitter

Thursday 12 May 2022 08:20 EDT

The space-faring RPG will be available on Xbox Game Pass from the start (The Independent)

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Starfield is one of the biggest game releases expected to come out in 2022. Coming from the same studio responsible for Skyrim and the Fallout series, this is Bethesda’s newest property in 25 years. It was scheduled to be released later this year but it seems that the game has now been pushed into the first half of 2023.

With Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda to the tune of $7.5bn, this new IP from the studio is likely to be one of Xbox’s biggest exclusive titles to date and will be making its way over to Game Pass like many of the company’s other titles.

Xbox has already announced an event taking place on 12 June 2022 and as it’s taking place close to the Summer Game Fest this year, we have a strong feeling that we’re likely to see some more gameplay.

The game’s publisher has kept a pretty tight lid on any further information relating to the upcoming sci-fi adventure, but based on short teaser trailers, concept art and interviews with Starfield’s development team, we have a pretty good idea of some of the features to expect.

Here’s everything we know about Starfield’s release date and more.

‘Starfield’ release date

While the game was originally scheduled to release 11 November 2022, it has now unfortunately been delayed. Bethesda announced they decided to push the release date back into early 2023, as it made a statement on its Twitter account.

The post reads: “We’ve made the decision to delay the launches of Redfall and Starfield to the first half of 2023.

“Bethesda Game Studios have incredible ambitions for their games and we want to ensure that you receive the best, most polished versions of them.

“We want to thank everyone for their excitement for Redfall and Starfield. The energy is a huge part of what inspires all of us every day and drives our own excitement for what we are creating.

“We can’t wait to share our first deep dive into the gameplay for both Redfall and Starfield soon. Thank you for your support.”

Starfield was first announced during E3 back in 2018 with a short trailer, but it was only given a confirmed release date last year.

In the game’s official trailer on Bethesda’s YouTube page, an astronaut can be seen preparing to launch a spaceship with a display flashing the numbers “11 11 22”, meaning that the release date was expected to take place on 11 November 2022 before the delay. The date has a lot of significance for Bethesda, as it was also the release date forThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim back in 2011.

As the game is being touted as a Microsoft exclusive, we can expect to see it appear on the Xbox series X/S as well as on PC. The game will also be made available on Game Pass on day one, which is great news for anyone subscribed to the online service.

Unfortunately for Playstation fans, there doesn’t appear to be any plans to release the game on PS4 or PS5 consoles.

Will ‘Starfield’ have companions?

One of the features expected to make its way over to the new property from The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series are travelling companions for the main character. These characters can often be encountered in Bethesda’s vast open worlds and optional side quests can help them achieve their goals. The more time spent with them can lead to growing friendships and even romantic pursuits but companions can also dislike characters to the point of outright disgust based on the player’s actions.

While we don’t have a lot of information on all the possible companions players can meet in Starfield, Bethesda has already released a trailer around one character in particular, named “Vasco”, an expeditionary robot manufactured by Constellation, an organisation of space explorers.

In episode two of Into the Starfield, a roundtable discussion of the game, the senior development team discuss what companion characters are capable of, such as commenting on things players are actively doing or observing as well as commenting on previous events. Companions are likely to belong to different factions of the game and will be able to comment on player’s decision as the narrative unfolds.

What is ‘Starfield’ about?

According to design director Emil Pagliarulo, Starfield is set in an area of space that extends outward from our Solar System by approximately 50 light years. This is know as “The Settled Systems” and covers just a small corner of the Milky Way.

Around the year 2310, the two largest factions in the game, the United Colonies and Freestar Collective, engaged in a bloody conflict known as the “Colony War” and the game takes place two decades after this event, during an uneasy peace.

Players will take on the role of a new member of Constellation and will be tasked with conducting research and uncovering the secrets of the galaxy. There are also plenty of human threats out in space to contend with, such as the Ecliptic mercenary group, the Crimson Fleet pirates and even fanatical religious zealots of House Va’Ruun.

Based on previous Bethesda games, it’s likely that players will be able to work with or against the game’s different factions, much like the Minutemen or Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 4, to complete side missions which could affect the outcome of multiple endings.