Bethesda Recreation Studios could have a fame for placing out bug-ridden video games with barely functioning UIs after which leaving all of it for modders to repair, however it typically does this with stunningly fantastic video games by which tolerating the jank is greater than worthwhile. Starfield, nevertheless, is the studio’s first massive first-party miss since, wow, 2006’s IHRA Drag Racing: Sportsman Version. What’s extra hanging is that the space-faring epic has, since its September 6, 2023 launch, put out a single desultory enlargement pack, and that was properly over a 12 months in the past now. New rumors of a rejuvenated model to accompany the sport’s arrival on PS5 subsequent 12 months do little to squash the sense that the disappointing recreation has grow to be a low precedence for its creators.
Starfield launched to widespread disappointment just over two years ago, adopted by probably the most peculiarly barren post-launch interval of any Bethesda recreation in latest reminiscence. After a 12 months of doldrums, the reveal of that first enlargement—Shattered Area—appeared so promising. At an early showing during Gamescom, the horror vibes of the brand new content material appeared compelling, and it felt like this may very well be the sport’s new starting. However as an alternative the DLC was absolutely slated by reviewers and players, solely additional cementing the sport’s fame as a dud.
In fact, as a result of that is Bethesda, folks nonetheless held out hope. Whereas The Elder Scrolls On-line was developed by a special inside crew (Zenimax On-line Studios), that recreation had probably the most abysmal beta and launched in 2014 in a fairly crappy state, however huge quantities of labor have been put in to show it round, and it’s now a beloved MMO that also thrives a decade later. Absolutely, some may need moderately thought, the identical form of effort could be put into Starfield, bringing about the identical reversal of fortune? Absolutely we might anticipate to see a trickle of latest quests, plots, and incremental enhancements till it was panel-beaten right into a recreation to position alongside Skyrim and Fallout 3? But since Shattered Area‘s arrival last year, we’ve had diddly-squat.
The entire of 2025 has handed with out not simply any new content material for the sport, however not even the announcement of something to come back. As an alternative (aside from a video promise that an unspecified new enlargement was within the works), all we’ve heard are rumors that the game is being prepared for a 2026 PlayStation 5 release following Microsoft’s resolution to desert console exclusivity, however with none motive offered as to why PS5 gamers ought to need it any greater than anybody else. Now, phrase is out that the PlayStation launch will coincide with a “2.0” model of Starfield that may even come to Xbox and PC. However even this would possibly must be met with muted hope.
Through Gaming Bolt, leaks have appeared of the revamped model of the sport, proven to numerous influencers and the like in a closed-door showcase. Fan-run X account Starfield Information posted to say the occasion just lately came about, with the declare that it was “making those who attended very excited for the future of the game.” Nonetheless, YouTuber Luke Stephens posted to X to say he’d spoken to various individuals who attended, and that folks ought to “temper expectations.”
I’ve had a number of folks attain out who declare to have both been current on the occasion or helped put it on. They’re constant within the following methods:
Mood expectations. Issues are being improved however from what I am listening to this in all probability is not a Cyberpunk 2.0 scale replace. https://t.co/fjHpMCSadC
— Luke Stephens (@LukeStephens) December 17, 2025
“Things are being improved,” Stephens says, “but from what I’m hearing this probably isn’t a Cyberpunk 2.0 scale update.” That’s a reference to the way in which CD Projekt solely overhauled the disastrously poor launch model of Cyberpunk 2077 to make it one of many best-loved RPGs of all time, and Bethesda can’t actually fall in need of that in the event that they need to save issues.
Bethesda’s full silent about all of this, with even the PS5 model’s existence by no means formally introduced, speaks volumes about how little curiosity there have to be in giving gamers a motive to get excited. That’s on prime of the failure to place out any new content material in a 12 months. In actual fact, Starfield is barely getting patched lately, with solely two updates in the entire of 2025, each simply including stability fixes, one in Could after which the slightest replace conceivable in July. The latter was accompanied with the missive, “Looking ahead, we’re continuing work on future updates and will share more about the exciting things we have planned for Starfield in the coming months.”
Spoiler: they didn’t.
We’ve got no official affirmation of this closed-door presentation of a Starfield 2.0, and have requested Bethesda if it may possibly say whether or not this came about—we’ll replace ought to we get a reply. We’ve additionally requested about why there’s been so little data and no new content material all through 2025.
However even when a dramatically improved revamp seems sooner or later in 2026 (and Luke Stephens suggests it might come considerably later within the 12 months than folks have hoped), would possibly it already be too late? Cyberpunk 2077‘s dismal launch was not because the game itself was inherently bad, but because it ran so atrociously, with console versions so poor that it was withdrawn from sale by Sony itself. People still wanted to get at the game that was being obscured by the huge technical issues. A year and a half later, the game was finally in a state where it could run properly on console, at which point it was embraced and adored.
But Starfield‘s shortcomings aren’t a results of technical points (though these are current, with rumors that the loading screens are to be improved within the supposed 2.0 model), however slightly the way in which its breadth got here at the price of depth, a vastness that doesn’t maintain collectively as a coherent entire, which means the trademark Bethesda wonkiness turns into way more of a difficulty. It’s onerous to see how this may be rescued with no wealth of cohesive new content material, and new content material seems to be the very final thing this recreation is getting. That the entire of 2025 might have passed by with no single vital addition speaks extremely poorly of Bethesda’s curiosity in those that purchased the sport and maintained hope.
I get that. I can solely think about how terrible it’s to have spent so a few years placing in a lot love and energy constructing one thing so huge and complex, just for it to not pull collectively in a passable manner. I wouldn’t need to maintain having to plug away at it both, and could be way more to maneuver on to The Elder Scrolls VI, or Fallout V. It’s OK to launch a recreation after which transfer on. But when that’s what’s occurring, you’ll be able to’t be telling your devoted fanbase about “the exciting things” which might be arising, earlier than simply disappearing right into a gap.
Maybe 2026 will reveal a Starfield that’s price reinstalling, and eventually I’ll be capable of click on with a recreation I’ve failed to attach with after three makes an attempt. I actually hope so. However it stays astonishing that 2025 noticed nothing in any respect.
