Starfield's new release date is September 6th 2023
Bethesda are also airing a Starfield Direct in June
Starfield's release date has been a subject of much debate since its unfortunate delay last year, but now Bethesda have finally committed to a new date: September 6th 2023. The news was announced via a two-minute video, where director Todd Howard also revealed Bethesda will be holding a special Starfield Direct in June, just ahead of E3.
In the first half of the release date video, Bethesda showcase the beautiful cinematics of deep space, before spending the last minute with a never-ageing Howard in the Bethesda Game Studio offices. Howard had a lot to say, but if you’re like me, you’ll be distracted by glimpses of a desert planet running on a background TV.
“We have poured ourselves into this game,” says Howard. “Even I’m surprised how much we can pour… it is large.” Its size is no surprise since we previously learned there’d be hundreds of explorable planets in-game.
Howard also revealed they'll be showing more of Starfield in a special Starfield Direct on June 11th - right around the time E3 is happening, and will likely be on or around the same date as Xbox and Bethesda's own traditional E3-timed showcase (update: Xbox have now confirmed that, yes, the Starfield Direct will follow the Xbox Games Showcase on June 11th). Starfield was missing from Xbox’s Developer Direct in January, but that’s because Bethesda announced they were planning a separate deep dive for their gargantuan RPG, which now seems to be confirmed as this June Starfield Direct.
Speaking of the Starfield Direct, Howard says: “There’s so much that we still have to show you… the game has many of the hallmarks you’d expect from us. But it’s also a very unique experience.”
If you’re ravenous for more Starfield details, we do know the game’s faction quests are more akin to Skyrim's, rather than Fallout's. We also got a tease on its “more complex relationships”, which is expected since Starfield has more dialogue than Skyrim and Fallout 4 combined. Plenty of opportunities to flirt with some ETs.
Until then, though, we’ll have to wait for the Starfield Direct to air on June 11th (exact timing to be confirmed), just in time for E3 season.