This past week Microsoft put the spotlight onStarfield, Bethesda’s upcoming open-universe RPG. Not only didStarfieldreceive the prime position at this year’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, but Bethesda’s Todd Howard has been set loose to talk about a variety ofStarfield-related subjects. One of those subjects is how Bethesda plans to supportStarfieldpost-launch. Unsurprisingly, but still excitingly, Howard confirms thatStarfieldplans to follow inSkyrim’s footsteps with post-launch content and support for modding.
To start with Howard’s comments on official post-launch content, in an interview with IGN the Bethesda boss was asked how he plans to keepStarfieldcontent fresh over a long period of time. Howard acknowledged howTheElder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis still being played by many fans 10 years running. They take a break and then return when there’s “extra content” to play. With that in mind, Howard confirms that Bethesda has plans to release similar “extra content” forStarfield.
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Regarding modding, Howard ties in player-made content as another example of what brings players back long after a game’s release. A thriving modding community is another way of keeping a game fresh. That’s what Howard says Bethesda is going to ensure thatStarfieldis “going to be a dream” for its modding community. He characterizes this as Bethesda providing “so much” for modders to do in-game, though he doesn’t get specific. Perhaps he’s referring to the1,000 explorable planetsavailable for modders to build on.
While Howard isn’t able to get specific with any details at this point in time —Starfieldis still a year away from release, after all— he does provide the answers fans want. He doesn’t explicitly sayStarfieldwill have expansions, but points toSkyrim’s post-launch DLC modelas an example of what Bethesda will be doing. He doesn’t acknowledge what kind of modding supportStarfieldwill have, but explains Bethesda has modding in mind and thinksStarfieldwill be rife with modding opportunities.
The lack of specificity forStarfield’s post-launch support is bound to create some speculation, though. There are some questions about whether Bethesda plans to deliver a more live-service style of experience forStarfieldthan its prior games. Seasons of content, battle passes, and the like. Bethesda has experimented with monetization going back toHorse Armor DLC inOblivion, after all.
With so much time between now andStarfield’s launch, these are questions unlikely to be answered for some time. It’s potentially true that these are decisionsBethesdahasn’t even made yet. A year is a long time in game development, after all. Howard, at the very least, has provided a positive idea of Bethesda’s plans forStarfieldthat fans can hold onto until the next news about the game breaks.
Starfieldreleases in the first half of 2023 on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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