Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield, their upcoming space RPG, has been in development for quite some time now. First unveiled at E3 2018 alongside The Elder Scrolls 6, Starfield promised a change of pace from Bethesda’s traditional medieval or post-apocalyptic settings, this time taking players to the stars. There have been numerous reports of the title releasing sometime this year, but according to Jason Schreier, we should adjust our expectations.
In a recent Reddit AMA, Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier was asked by a fan if a 2021 release for Starfield would be likely, to which he simply responded “nope”. Schreier has a decent track record of accurately leaking insider information and predicting game delays, so there might be some reliability to this claim. However, we still recommend taking it with a grain of salt until confirmation from Xbox or Bethesda.
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Earlier this year, an insider named ‘NateDrake’ claimed that Bethesda was targeting a late 2021 release for Starfield. However, the insider also stated that this was based on information last year, and plans could’ve easily changed due to the ongoing global pandemic. The insider wrote:
“There has been a strong hope & desire to have Starfield launch this year. How major the impacts due to COVID have been on the title is anyone’s guess, but 2021 was the intended goal for release as of a few months ago.”
That’s not to say that the ambitious space RPG is too far off from release or a bigger reveal. Another report from insider Klobrille, who has a reputable history of accurate leaks, stated that Starfield was expected to make an appearance at Xbox’s E3 2021 conference. The insider claimed that Xbox was hoping to make “a quadruple punch” of AAA game reveals this year at the massive gaming event, with some of the other titles being Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5.
If Schreier’s claim is accurate, then don’t expect to play Starfield anytime this year. Unfortunately, a large portion of the gaming industry has suffered a great blow due to the COVID-19 pandemic restricting and prolonging game development time. This could’ve also impacted Bethesda’s development on Starfield, so it would make sense if the game is delayed or scheduled to be released at a later stage.
Source: Reddit AMA