A cluster of Starfield fans say they’ve gained an early glimpse at improvements coming to Bethesda’s sci-fi role-player, though have suggested the changes are relatively modest in scope.
The fans claimed Bethesda invited them to take a look at the upcoming content, with one saying they were “stoked” by what they saw, while another suggested they were “excited for the future of Starfield.” For now, the details of what was shown remain under embargo, to be properly revealed at a later date.
But there’s also a note of caution here, regarding the scope and scale of what Bethesda is actually working on. Another content creator, who said they had been contacted by several Starfield fans either at the event or who helped put it on, suggested this “probably isn’t a Cyberpunk 2.0-scale update,” referencing the major additions that helped improved CD Projekt’s RPG.
Word that Bethesda is working on more content for Starfield is unsurprising — indeed, Bethesda boss Todd Howard said back in August that the company had “free updates and features the players have been asking for, as well as a new DLC story” in the works.
“I can’t go into all the details just yet, but I will say part of the team has been focused on space gameplay to make the travels there more rewarding,” Howard noted. “We’re also adding some new game systems, and a few other smaller delights. There’s also some really interesting stuff coming down the pipe from our verified creators. There’s some fun stuff.”
This tease followed a long period of radio silence on Starfield’s future, and the discovery of datamined references to a still-unannounced “Cruise Mode” that suggested players would finally be able to actually travel in your spaceship from one planet to another. Firm details from Bethesda itself remain thin on the ground, however, with the game’s second anniversary in September passing with just a simple social media post and the vague tease of something named “Terran Armada.”
Bethesda’s vagueness around future plans for Starfield has long been a point of discussion among fans, with a sense that the company has pulled back on its previous ambitions for the game following its mixed response and amid a clamoring for the company’s two bigger franchises, The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.
In August it was reported that Bethesda had delayed Starfield’s second expansion due to “weak sales” of its first, Shattered Space, which launched in September 2024 to a ‘Mostly Negative’ Steam user rating. Todd Howard had previously talked of Starfield expansions releasing annually. Another reported reason for the delay was Bethesda’s plans to launch Starfield on PlayStation 5, with both the second expansion and the game’s multiplatform rollout potentially happening simultaneously. Here’s hoping 2026 provides a clearer sense of the game’s future.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
