Starfield, Bethesda’s newest and perhaps largest title, is just around the corner. Read on to learn when you can play the game and where you can get a copy.
Starfield Release Date
September 6, 2023
Bethesda’s highly-anticipated title released on September 6, 2023 for the Xbox Series X|S and PC. However, players who purchase the Premium or Constellation Edition were already able to play the game from September 1, 2023.
Everything We Know About Starfield
Starfield Story Plot
Starfield is set in the year 2330 in a fictional area of space called the Settled Systems, a region far out in the cosmos that has supported many thriving colonies. There, the player assumes the role of a worker from Argus Extractors, an interstellar mining company. After a routine mission, he chances upon a mysterious Artifact. He also meets with members of the Starfield Constellation faction, a group of explorers who study the Artifacts and the secrets that they hold.
Starfield's story expands as new lore is being ushered in. The new lore sheds some more backstory on the two major factions, the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective, as well as the "Constellation" faction players will eventually be a part of in the game proper.
Humanity first reached Mars in 2050, and by 2100, human settlements in space had been established. By 2156, humanity had expanded its reach to Alpha Centauri, leading to the rise of the United Colonies (UC) three years later. New Atlantis, one of the major settlements in Starfield, was established and became the UC’s official capital. By 2189, the Cheyenne and Volii systems formed the Freestar Collective. Cheyenne is home to Akila City, the Collective's capital and another major location in Starfield.
Tensions between the two major factions would come to a head in 2196, after the United Colonies put a space station in the independent Nation system, sparking the Nation War. The conflict ended in 2216, giving rise to the term "Settled Systems." But the lingering tensions between the UC and the Freestar Collective would soon boil over again nearly a hundred years later, resulting in the Colony War.
Despite the doom and gloom, however, in 2275 the Constellation group was established to continue the exploration of space beyond the Settled Systems and answer the age-old question, "What is out there?".
Starfield Hype Check - What's The Buzz!?
Starfield Search Trends
Over the past year, Starfield has been gaining good traction among Bethesda fans and gaming enthusiasts in general. The game has become a hot topic among the gaming community especially with the news of Microsoft/Xbox acquiring Bethesda's parent company, ZeniMax, and consequently Starfield itself, making it a PC and Xbox exclusive.
This sparked rounds of conversation as Sony has been reported to have looked into getting a hold of Starfield to make it a Playstation exclusive. Prior to Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax, Sony had struck deals to make Bethesda games, such as Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop, become Playstation timed-exclusives.
Starfield continues to become a point of discussion among gaming fans as the "console wars" continue to wage on.
Starfield's Popularity Compared to Other Games
- Blue - Starfield
- Red - Mortal Kombat 1
- Yellow - Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Green - Lies of P
With a heavy lineup of games set to release in September 2023, we wanted to know which game among the four seems to have generated the most buzz among players. So we took three other games, namely, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Mortal Kombat 1, and Lies of P, and compared them to Starfield's search interest over the past 12 months.
Mortal Kombat 1
Mortal Kombat 1 seems to be by far the most searched among the four. This may be because the game has a wider mass appeal as well as a bigger fan base from being a long-running series. With the inclusion of characters such as Homelander, Peacemaker, and Omni-Man, the game since then has generated a lot of buzz, especially with the announcement of J.K. Simmons being casted as Omni-Man.
Starfield
Starfield takes 2nd place and remains as a hot topic among players amidst the "Playstation vs. Xbox" discussion. Since the game has been acquired by Microsoft, fans wanted to know if they will get the chance to play Starfield at Gamescom 2023, causing an increase in searches the past month.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Cyberpunk 2077 experienced a huge spike in searches over the past year with the release of the animated series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, bringing in new eyes to the game. The game is finally launching its long-awaited expansion, Phantom Liberty, and is maintaining a steady number of searches among the gaming community.
Lies of P
Lies of P is the least searched of the four by a large margin. It seems that Lies of P has not had much exposure to players in comparison to the three other games. However, the Lies of P saw its popularity skyrocket as it released a demo at the start of June this year and continues to gain interest over time.
Starfield Fan Reactions
This Twitter (now X) user seems to be optimistic about Starfield, saying that it might be the boost Xbox needs. Despite the lack of official marketing from Xbox, they pointed out how the game is still hyped by and among fans.
One user praises Bethesda's attention to detail and raises how Starfield has a lot to offer compared to a similar game.
This user expresses their hopes for Starfield, pointing out how Bethesda has had "misses" with their releases as of late.
With talks of GOTY coming up, this user can't, of course, help but compare Starfield and Baldur's Gate 3 to each other, pointing out how Starfield felt robotic and plain by comparison. Still, they seem to be rooting for Starfield to prove them otherwise.
Starfield Hype Verdict
Despite the fact that the game is yet to be released, Starfield already looks to be a GOTY contender. Its ambitious presentation of massive-world environments and far-reaching stories all look buzzworthy.
Although we expect the game to have annoying bugs and glitches during the first couple months of its release, especially with Bethesda's notorious history for buggy games and the sheer scale of the game, it's best to remember that no modern game is immune to a mostly bugless release. Day one patches are all the rage now.. With what Starfield has shown so far, it looks to be a fantastic game worth all the hype.
Starfield Pre-Orders
Every edition of Starfield can be pre-ordered on Amazon here:
 |
 Buy Starfield on Amazon
|
|---|
Starfield Pre-Order Bonuses
| Starfield Pre-order Bonuses |
|---|
| Laser Cutter |
| Deep Mining Helmet |
| Deep Mining Pack |
Those who purchase Starfield before its release date will be rewarded with the Old Mars Skin Pack containing the Deep Mining Helmet, Deep Mining Pack, and Laser Cutter. Game Pass members will receive the Old Mars Skin Pack when they start playing using their subscription.
Starfield Trailer
Starfield Official Gameplay Trailer
Starfield Product Information
 |
|
| Title | STARFIELD |
|---|---|
| Release Date | September 6, 2023 |
| Developer | Bethesda Game Studios |
| Publisher | Bethesda Softworks |
| Supported Platforms | PC, Xbox Series X|S |
| Genre | Action, RPG |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | Mature |
| Official Website | Starfield Website |
