Starfield stands out among the crowded gaming landscape -- not just because it’s Bethesda’s first new IP in more than 25 years. But because the studio itself hails the game as their “end-all, be-all science-fiction game.” This is not just Fallout set in space as some naysayers have suggested.
Still, with the teaser trailer having initially debuted in 2018 and only some tangible new information released at E3 2021, fans are still wondering. What will Starfield be like? How big will the game be? Will there be weird space magic or intergalactic Death Claw equivalents? No one really knows.
Here is what we know about Starfield so far.
Starfield Release Date
Fans have speculated as to the release timeline for Starfield endlessly since the game’s reveal trailer. Despite many theories, no one can pin down the development cycle for the game. Recently, some sources indicated that the game was all but finished.
However, Fallout 76 development superseded Starfield’s back in 2016. This only protracted the game’s development with studio resources rededicating themselves to Starfield in 2018.
Jason Schreier, a noted games journalist who has many confidants in the gaming industry, commented on the situation. "Bethesda's plan is to tease a release date for Starfield at E3. That date is in *late* 2022” stated the writer on Twitter. The E3 2021 release date announcement confirmed Schreier's claims.
Confirmed Release Date: November 11, 2022
What Do We Know About Starfield?
Starfield’s setting is still largely unknown, despite various announcements about the game. Though there have been some leaks and trailers, concrete information remains difficult to find and confirm. However, the studio has confirmed that the setting will be the “not too distant future” suggesting a more hard sci-fi setting.
Here’s what else we know about Starfield so far:
- It can be played in first or third person
- Space travel will still be a bit “Wild West” like. Todd Howard himself described space travel in Starfield as being like “flight in the 40s...it’s dangerous.” This came from a conversation with noted space enthusiast Elon Musk from the E3 Coliseum panel in 2019
- Bethesda has referred to the game as their “end all, be all science fiction game”. Statements from leaks, the studio themselves, and former studio employees all corroborate this claim
- Gameplay will have a single-player focus with players interacting with both “hand-crafted” and procedurally generated content. This means more unique NPC interactions, as well as some generic aspects, too
- The game will use Bethesda's proprietary Creation Engine 2
- There is a group/faction of space explorers known as Constellation, as well as a group/faction called Cydonia Security
- It will NOT be available on PlayStation consoles. It will only be available on Xbox and PC platforms
- Leaked environment concept art suggests that alien worlds will be heavily varied ranging from dense jungles to cyberpunk or art-deco inspired cityscapes
- The game will release on November 11, 2022
- Spaceships will use Helium for fuel
What Is Starfield's Setting?
The game is set several hundred years after our own current time period. But not much more is known beyond that. Some fans have posited that this could be another alternate timeline as seen in the Fallout games.
Starfield Technical Requirements & Platforms
With each passing year, games make use of the latest technology available. This often results in stellar graphics and performance except for a few instances, such as Cyberpunk 2077. Fans expect Starfield, a game focused on interstellar exploration, to be beautiful, unique, and gripping.
But Bethesda games are not known for their exceptionally picturesque games. Yes, with the right mods and hardware, people can get Skyrim looking more beautiful than the Swiss countryside. But how will Starfield use technology? Moreover, what platforms will Starfield release on?
What Engine Will Starfield Use?
Bethesda games always use their proprietary engine, known as the Creation Engine. With Starfield being a “next-gen” game set in space, many die-hard fans had their doubts about the dated engine’s capabilities.
As such, Todd Howard assured the public that the engine would see major overhauls and updates to accommodate the new game’s technical requirements. For reference, the last time this engine got an overhaul was for the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion title between 2002 and 2006.
The latest trailer for the game shared footage from the "Creation Engine 2". Fans can only assume that this is the revamped and second iteration of the proprietary Bethesda engine. Bethesda confirmed on Twitter that Starfield will be the first game to utilize this version.
Starfield on Xbox vs. Starfield on Steam
Bethesda has long garnered a relationship with both PC and console platforms. When the technology became available, the studio jumped at the opportunity to make their games available via every platform. This rings true for Fallout 76 coming to mobile, as well, despite the collective side-eye from long-term franchise fans.
Given the finalization of Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media (Bethesda’s parent company), Starfield's presence on Xbox Game Pass was all but assured. E3 2021 confirmed this by announcing that Starfield would be on PC and Xbox platforms. As for online platforms such as Steam or the Epic Games Store, that remains to be seen.
Will Starfield Be On PlayStation Consoles?
Initially, Starfield had been under negotiations to become a Sony and PlayStation exclusive. After Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda and their sibling studios MachineGames and Arkane, fans suspected that Starfield would not be available PlayStation console. Bethesda confirmed this suspicion at E3 2021.
Will Starfield Have Mods?
One of the best things about Bethesda games is how moddable they are. The modding community has created absolutely incredible mods from Creatures and Monsters of the Commonwealth to Randy “Macho Man” Savage dragons in Skyrim. But fans don’t know whether or not Starfield will continue this grand tradition.
However, Todd Howard has mentioned numerous times how much he sees both AI and the Cloud leveraged for the benefits of games. As seen with DLSS across compatible Nvidia cards, AI can definitely be used to drastically improve graphical capabilities. Fans hope to have the same level of moddability, regardless of the technology used.
Starfield Story
Creating an “epic sci-fi” game was the second item on Todd Howard’s games wishlist that he created in 2004. In service of that wish, it’s been said that the concept for Starfield has been under discussion for almost ten years.
Not much is known about the overall plot of the game yet, but Bethesda confirmed that it is a single-player RPG. The release date trailer portrayed a single starship captain who was part of the Constellation group - the "last of the space explorers." Beyond that, fans are left to speculate.
The 10th Planet
Bethesda did create a space combat game known as The 10th Planet back in 1997. The fuzzy screenshot paying homage above can be found in the E3 2021 release date announcement trailer.
For its time, The 10th Planet was extremely ambitious with tons of features still difficult to produce in games today such as:
- Gigantic alien ships in the style of the film Independence Day
- Large-scale space battles with “sci-fi armies” and ships
- Sweeping cinematics
- Star Wars Tie Fighter-style dogfights in space
- A general story of defending your star system from alien invaders
Though this game had to be scrapped, Starfield could pull inspiration from the original vision. This, combined with what we now know about the Constellation group being the "last group of space explorers" could indicate intergalactic warfare.
Will Starfield Be Like Skyrim?
Todd Howard et al have described Starfield as “having the DNA” of a traditional Bethesda game. That is to say that the game will have the same kind of visceral world that feels alive. In that regard, it will be similar to the worlds found in Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and Fallout 4.
After E3 2021's Xbox and Bethesda Showcase, Todd Howard stated in an interview with The Telegraph that there were some similarities. "It's kind of like Skyrim in terms of the structure of the game, where you're going to be who you want to be, and then there's different factions that you can join, and really carve your own path."
Is Starfield Single Player?
Bethesda’s most recent works have been multiplayer games - Fallout 76 and Elder Scrolls Online. But the studio prospers most when creating single-player, RPG-style, and exploration-driven worlds.
To that end, Starfield is planned as an exclusively single-player experience. For now, there are no known plans to bring multiplayer into the fold of the game.
Starfield Gameplay
No gameplay footage for Starfield has surfaced yet. Despite the lack of gameplay knowledge, we can deduct certain things about the game’s overall mechanics, tone, combat, and systems.
For instance, the leaked image of the spaceship and the survey regarding spaceship construction suggest that spaceship customization will be a feature in Starfield.
What Kind Of Game Is Starfield?
Starfield will, obviously, be a game set in space, but Bethesda has much more planned for the game than your average space game. So far, here’s what fans expect Starfield to be and have:
- Single-player, open-world sci-fi RPG
- Operates on the newly revamped Creation Engine 2
- Utilizes systems from past Bethesda games such as Fallout 4, but it will “push those systems even further”
- Features a balance of “Hand-crafted” vs. procedurally generated content
- Ship maintenance and upgrade system
- Gravity mechanics
Reddit user Adridactelo mocked up what parts might be customizable on a player's spacesuit (above). For now, fans are left to wonder about the majority of Starfield's gameplay.
How Big Will Starfield Be?
No one really knows how big Starfield will be. As an open-world, space exploration game with a frontier vibe, the game will have to be of great size. Given Bethesda’s past work, it stands to reason that the game will be sizable with lots of far corners with unique stories and visuals.
Starfield Spaceships & Gear
This image of a Starfield spaceship first leaked before the E3 2021 trailer. What fans ended up seeing was nothing like this leaked image. Still, fans remain vigilant for spaceships of this variety in the Starfield concept art and other media.
Taken from the E3 2021 trailer reveal, this image of a spaceship on a rocky planet surface has fans spiraling. Is this a damaged ship? Is it mid-take-off? What about gravity or air on the planet surface? What is the station-type structure behind the ship?
While all valid questions, the trailer did not offer concrete explanations for any of those questions. Some fans have suggested that this is a lunar base on Earth's moon which is a definite possibility. However, there does appear to be wind on the planet which suggests an atmosphere of some kind instead.
The trailer also gave fans a close-up of the spaceship's exterior. It seems to have a serial number of some kind on it as "NG1350". But the other text reads "Frontier" which hints at the grand sci-fi tradition of space being "the final frontier".
You can also make out a robot or mobile platform of some kind in the bottom right.
The trailer goes onto give fans a closer look at the mobile platform which resembles a work robot of some kind. It has four appendages with two being legs and the other two being arms that perhaps have a gun on them. But it is unclear as to the purpose of the platform.
Fans also get a closer look at the structure behind the ship which is likely a base of some kind.
Lessons From Fallout 76 & Elder Scrolls: Online
Like another space exploration game that had a rocky start, Starfield could encounter lots of issues if it went the multiplayer route. Despite the lackluster fan response to Fallout 76, Bethesda has maintained support for ESO with the most recent expansion being Blackwood.
Even if the studio never introduces multiplayer into Starfield, they can extrapolate data from the success of ESO and the failure of Fallout 76. With Skyrim and Fallout 4 being older games, their systems are clunky by comparison. ESO and Fallout 76 both tell Bethesda how to modernize their particular RPG experience -- even from a single-player perspective.
Starfield Trailers
Original trailer from 2018:
Starfield E3 2021 Presentation:
Full E3 2021 Xbox & Bethesda Showcase in 4K:
E3 2021 Official Starfield Teaser Trailer & Breakdown
Many fans have taken to Reddit to theorycraft and break down each frame of the trailer. A making of video was also shared on the Washington Post featuring concept art and other development information.
But the trailer and other materials display a star system with planets unlike the ones in our galaxy. This confirms fan theories that the game takes place in a galaxy that isn't the Milky Way. Many fans also likened the trailer to the critically acclaimed novel and TV/streaming series The Expanse for its hard sci-fi motifs.
Leaked Starfield Environments
Concept art for Starfield leaked alongside the E3 2021 announcement and trailer reveal. These images above surfaced on Reddit (among other places) and greatly impressed fans. Many compared them to what Cyberpunk 2077 promised while others were most intrigued by the jungle biome.
The environments seem to fall somewhere among Cyberpunk, BioShock, and Mass Effect: Andromeda. Perhaps Bethesda took lessons from BioWare's failures (including Anthem) when it comes to rendering alien environments.
Starfield Trailer Leaks Spaceship Controls & Story Info?
Reddit user liteRave shared their theories about what the Starfield spaceship cockpit controls might entail. The cockpit certainly feels very hard sci-fi with its realistic screen and button setups. But other players suggested that spaceship customization would be a pivotal part of the game.
While the initial writing at the top could be spaceship upgrade related, the bottom text seems clearly colloquial in nature. All of the text reads as follows:
- BEST SETTINGS: ENG = 3, 2, 3, SHD = 6, 3, 1 ?, GRV = 4, 2, 2
- UPGRADE REACTOR?
- REMINDER: Cydonia Security does NOT have a sense of humor...
- VASCO, we're out of Tranquilitea. Do NOT get decaf!
This flavor text not only hints at some settings and spaceship upgrades but also gives fans our first concrete faction: Cydonia Security. It also creates a character named "Vasco" who may feature in the story.
Some fans believe that "Vasco" is the name of the mobile platform seen in the trailer. It could also be an easter egg reference to the historical explorer Vasco de Gama.
Starfield's Pipboy Equivalent?
On the left in the image above, we have the logo for the Constellation group in Starfield. But fans have postulated that the watch on the right may be the game's Pipboy equivalent.
It seems to be named the "Chronomark" with "chrono" being a prefix that relates to time. The top says "Est. 2186" indicating the manufacturer's creation year with "Atmos-Ames" seen on the bottom left. As for what the meter could be, all we can do is guess for now.
Starfield Rumors
With so little concrete information available, fans have scraped the internet for any shred to explain Starfield. From artist inspiration boards on Pinterest to what might be the word “constellation” in the teaser trailer, fans are rabid for more details.
The teaser trailer also sparked two other rumors with one related to a barely seeable person walking along the outside of the space station or telescope object. The second rumor relates to whatever cosmic event takes place in the trailer. This could be an event horizon, a wormhole, a time jump, or something else entirely.
Story Hinted At By Books In Starfield Trailer?
Some fans on Reddit have pointed to the two books on this shelf from the trailer as hints to the game's overall plot. The two books are Omega: The Last Days of the World and Sailing Alone Around the World.
Connecting one of these themes to what we already know about Starfield is a no-brainer. "Sailing alone around the world" relates to it being a single-player RPG in space. But the idea of the "last days of the world" is a bit trickier. This relates to what we saw in the initial cinematic from 2018 with the cosmic event.
As for the little white box and the helmet, no one really knows. The "Constellation Spacefarer's Guide" could be a nod to the classic Douglas Adams series Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. But this remains speculation for now.
Starfield: Another Alternate Timeline?
What some fans posit about the potential word “constellation” is a reference to a canceled NASA project. In 2009, NASA initiated a space-flight-centric project known as Constellation that involved lunar and Martian exploration. With Bethesda’s alternate timeline in the Fallout series, fans suggest that they are merely doing the same thing with this canceled NASA project.
What if Project Constellation had continued and humans had returned to the moon?
Possible Starfield Factions
Fans have been hard at work deciphering every possible easter egg and detail. Some have discovered what they believe to be the factions that will comprise the Starfield universe.
- TEC - some kind of manufacturer
- Axion Energy - an energy company, provider, and seller
- BlackFleet - the name of the spaceship from leaks
- Kreet World Base - the 2018/2020 station from leaks
- Space Nation Alliance (SNA) - an important faction in the game
- Cydonia Security - mentioned in flavor text from the E3 2021 release date trailer
Is Tom Cruise In Starfield?
It’s no secret that video games bring in huge Hollywood stars for added notoriety and marketability. Star Citizen’s Squadron 42 is riddled with famous faces, so Bethesda recruiting Tom Cruise isn’t terribly farfetched.
But this rumor, originating from a potentially farcical tweet, seems like it won’t come to fruition.
Starfield Mobile
Some fans believe that Bethesda will announce a mobile app or game companion to Starfield before the full game release. As some career listings for the studio have included mobile developers, the idea is not totally unfounded.
Other tin-foil hat theorists suspect that Starfield will be delayed due to the release of a mobile remake or remaster of a different Bethesda title.
Are These Hinting At Locations?
The E3 2021 trailer included these hand-drawn diagrams that have set the internet theory cauldron bubbling. The drawing above, for instance, seems to hint at discovered technology that humans can't figure out. The text reads:
- Multiple ??
- Rotating rings
- Two rings
- Three rings
- We have so far been unable to determine what happens in the center.
The other diagram in the trailer seems much more like coordinates or a map of some kind. The inset drawings have corresponding labels including "Rho", "Delta", "Epsilon", and others. These could all point to star systems or specific locations.
The text in the bottom right reads "Debate in constellation continues over the nature of the patterns. Circular design seems intentional, but the disconnected elements suggest separate meanings."
What The Microsoft Purchase Means For Starfield
Microsoft announced its purchase of Bethesda’s parent company ZeniMax Media in September 2020. However, that deal was not finalized until March of 2021. With Bethesda now under Microsoft’s umbrella, perhaps the large corporation wants to leverage its many resources for Starfield.
The merger puts Bethesda in party with both historically and recently successful games studios. This includes 343 (Halo franchise), Ninja Theory (Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice), Rare (Banjo Kazooie, Perfect Dark, Sea Of Thieves), Obsidian Entertainment (Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds), and more.
With such a robust network of talent at their disposal that still includes other sibling studios Arkane and MachineGames, Starfield could definitely see some extra attention from Microsoft’s leadership.
Bethesda E3 2021 Announcement
Bethesda had teased a big announcement coming on June 13, 2021 at E3 2021. That turned out to not only be a new trailer for Starfield but a release date, as well.
The teaser trailer revealed more details about the overall setting of the game. A character in a spacesuit enters a ship with tons of narrative peripherals found all over the ship. The voiceover, among other visuals, indicates that this person is part of the "Constellation" program.
This confirms initial fan theories about the potential reference to the abandoned NASA program. But not much more can be extrapolated as to whether or not this is another alternate timeline situation as in Fallout. The release date for Starfield is also exactly eleven years after Skyrim's original release date. Coincidence? Probably. Unless...?
This is what we know so far about Starfield.