Starfield
Bethesda's first new IP in 25 years, set in space.
Starfield, an action role-playing game from Bethesda Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks, launched in 2023. It marks the company's first entirely new intellectual property in a quarter-century, with director Todd Howard likening it to "Skyrim in space." Players take on the role of a silent protagonist who joins a team of space explorers tasked with traveling up to 50 light-years from the Sol System to recover mysterious artifacts. The game's open world is set within a defined volume of the Milky Way, mixing real and fictional star systems.
Development began in earnest after the 2015 release of Fallout 4, using a heavily modified version of Bethesda's Creation Engine to support procedural generation. Announced in 2018, the title faced multiple delays before arriving on Windows and Xbox Series X/S on September 6, 2023, with a PlayStation 5 version following on April 7, 2026. Critics gave it generally positive reviews, praising its expansive setting, open world, and soundtrack, though opinions on the story and exploration were mixed.
Players can switch between first- and third-person views at any time. Over 1,000 planets, plus numerous moons and space stations, are available to land on. Most landscapes are procedurally generated based on each star system's star type and atmosphere, with handcrafted content woven into the generated terrain. The largest city, New Atlantis, is Bethesda's biggest fictional city to date. Non-playable characters populate the world; some can join the player's crew, aiding in combat, carrying items, speaking on the player's behalf during confrontations, and commenting on decisions. Crew members can be stationed at player-built outposts, and each has unique skills. Certain NPCs can also be romanced.
Character creation lets players choose body type, appearance, background, and traits. A background unlocks three starting skills, while traits—like the Introvert trait, which boosts endurance when alone but reduces it with a companion—can be removed through quests or specific actions. Experience points and leveling unlock abilities across five skill trees: Physical, Social, Combat, Science, and Tech, with each skill rankable by completing related challenges.
Combat involves firearms, explosives, and melee weapons, most of which can be customized with attachments like telescopic sights or suppressors.
Quick Facts
- Publisher
- Bethesda Softworks
- Director
- Todd Howard
- Producer
- Angela Browder, Tim Lamb
- Designer
- Emil Pagliarulo
- Programmer
- Christopher Rodriguez
- Artist
- Istvan Pely
- Composer
- Inon Zur
- Engine
- Creation Engine 2
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Starfield takes place in the Settled Systems, a region of space extending outwards from the Sol System for approximately 50 light-years. In the 2050s, humanity explores Mars. By the 2150s, a method of faster-than-light travel called the 'Grav Drive' is invented; however, around this time, Earth's magnetosphere begins to destabilize, gradually rendering the planet uninhabitable. Humanity is forced to use the Grav Drive to settle other star systems, starting with Alpha Centauri in 2156, which leads to the founding of the United Colonies (UC) in 2159, the New Atlantis colony on Alpha Centauri's planet Jemison in 2160, and the colony's designation as the UC's capital in 2161. In 2189, the Freestar Collective breaks away from the United Colonies. Around the year 2310, the United Colonies and Freestar Collective engage in a military conflict called the Colony War. Other factions include House Va'ruun, the Ryujin Corporation, Ecliptic, and the Crimson Fleet. The visual aesthetic of the game, inspired by real-world technology such as that used by NASA, was dubbed 'NASApunk' by Todd Howard.
The player character joins Constellation, 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. The majority of landscapes within the game were procedurally generated, depending on the star of its system and its atmosphere, as well as locations of interest as the player approaches a planet, with modified and handcrafted content developed around them. The largest city in the game, New Atlantis, is the largest fictional city Bethesda has developed.
Reader's Guide
Starfield was announced in 2018 and delayed several times before its release for Microsoft Windows and Xbox Series X/S on September 6, 2023. A PlayStation 5 version was released on April 7, 2026. Active development of the game started following the release of Fallout 4 in 2015. 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. The game received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for its open world, setting, and soundtrack, though its story and exploration were divisive. As the first new intellectual property from Bethesda in 25 years, Starfield represents a significant expansion of the studio's portfolio beyond the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series. Its 'NASApunk' aesthetic and procedural generation system mark a departure from the handcrafted worlds of earlier Bethesda titles, while its core gameplay loop of exploration, faction quests, and character customization remains familiar to fans of the studio's previous work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Starfield?
Starfield is an action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks, launching on September 6, 2023. Players explore a wide stretch of the Milky Way as a member of a spacefaring expedition team.
What is the main story of Starfield?
You play as a nameless protagonist who joins the exploration crew Constellation on a journey stretching up to 50 light-years from the Sol System. The core objective is to locate and retrieve enigmatic artifacts scattered across various star systems.
What game engine powers Starfield?
The title runs on a substantially reworked version of Bethesda's Creation Engine, the same underlying technology behind Skyrim and Fallout. The heavy modifications were necessary to support the game's large-scale open worlds and its unique approach to traveling between star systems.
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