2023 video game

Starfield is a 2023 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. In the game, the player character joins a group of space explorers who must venture 50 light-years around the Sol System to acquire mysterious artifacts. The game features an open world in the form of a volume within the Milky Way galaxy, containing both fictional and non-fictional planetary systems.

Starfield takes place in a space-themed setting, and is the first new intellectual property developed by Bethesda in 25 years. It was described by its director, Todd Howard, as "Skyrim in space". Like Bethesda's previous games, it was powered by the Creation Engine, though it was heavily modified to accommodate the game's procedural generation system. Active development of the game started following the release of Fallout 4 in 2015.

Announced in 2018, Starfield was delayed several times. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox Series X/S on September 6, 2023. A PlayStation 5 version was released on April 7, 2026. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for its open world, setting, and soundtrack, though its story and exploration were divisive. The title's first downloadable content (DLC), Shattered Space, was released in September 2024, while the second pack, titled Terran Armada, was released in April 2026. The base game received mixed reviews from players, with Shattered Space receiving negative reviews and Terran Armada receiving mixed reviews as well. Particular criticisms from players centered on the high amount of bugs upon launch, especially given the context of the continuous delays. Player-developed mods addressed many of these issues.

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