Bethesda’s open-world space exploration RPG, Starfield, is one of the most highly anticipated games of 2022. As Bethesda’s first new IP in 25 years, there’s a lot riding on it and a lot of news has yet to surface before its release in November. Currently, Starfield is scheduled to release on November 11, 2022, and Todd Howard has expressed confidence in the release date. It’s getting closer by the day, but there are still 11 months to go until Starfield hits Xbox Game Pass and store shelves.
In the video game industry, a lot can happen in 11 months. When it comes to what players can expect from Starfield in 2022, the release is a given, but there’s a lot that comes before that. So far, there’s only a cinematic trailer, a little bit of lore, and concept art. This year, players can expect to see Bethesda slowly pull back the curtain on Starfield as November draws near.
Starfield Lore and Concept Art Reveals Continue
Apart from the CGI trailer, most of the information we have on Starfield has come from short videos detailing some of Starfield’s locations and enemy types. The amount of insight that can be gleaned from those videos is pretty significant, though. Bethesda showed several locations like Neon, a pleasure city on an aquatic planet, and New Atlantis, the capital of the United Colonies faction. There’s already a lot out there and fans can expect more on these locations in the future.
Periodically, Bethesda has also showcased some incredible concept art representing the people and places of Starfield, including a crystal cave that looks like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. In 2022, hopefully even more will surface. If patterns stay consistent, players should expect to see new details and visuals from time to time as it gets closer to the release date. Concept art and lore will probably continue to be explained even after the release.
Bethesda is known for creating massive games with incredible amounts of lore and locations to discover, and according to rumors, each individual planet will be bigger than all of Skyrim. Just like Skyrim, it should take players a while to discover all of the secrets hidden within Starfield. That also means that there’s plenty of material Bethesda can use to excite fans without scratching the surface of what players will discover on their own.
Starfield News
In addition to more Starfield lore and concept art reveals, there should be more official news about the game leading up to the gameplay reveal. Many think that Microsoft will show Starfield gameplay at E3 2022, but there could be some build-up that happens before then. The cinematic trailer showcased at E3 2021 didn’t unveil much, but a second one may be on its way.
Because the first Starfield trailer showed so little, another cinematic trailer could do more to showcase how the revealed lore and concept art actually manifest within the game. Bethesda may also reveal other details about Starfield’s gameplay mechanics and systems apart from the lore. Players are eager to find out how the skill systems work, how exploration and character customization works, and hear about how big the game actually is; and according to a recent statement by director Todd Howard, Bethesda is excited to share Starfield news.
Finally, Todd Howard has expressed that he always wanted to make a game like Starfield, but the technology didn’t exist until now. News about how Starfield is taking advantage of new technology and harnessing the power of Xbox Series X/S could be forthcoming as the game’s full scope is revealed. Players know that Starfield couldn’t exist in previous generations, but they don’t know why yet. Those details should be revealed before launch because they will probably be a major selling point.
Starfield at E3 2022
One of the biggest predictions is that Starfield gameplay will be shown at E3 2022. Microsoft had a huge panel at last year’s E3 and revealed the initial cinematic trailer along with a plethora of other announcements and reveals, making it Xbox’s biggest showcase of the year. With Starfield launching this fall, E3 in June would be the perfect time to highlight the game.
Of course, the gameplay reveal at E3 isn’t guaranteed, but a lot of fans would be disappointed if Starfield didn’t make an appearance. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, and because of that, it wouldn’t make any sense for it not to show up. Players can probably look forward to E3 2022 being the biggest Starfield feature yet. The E3 showcase should go big, giving players an extensive overview of what’s coming in Starfield rather than a tiny glimpse. Starfield is Microsoft’s big holiday 2022 release, so it’s not going to go light on coverage.
Starfield Launches on Game Pass
Assuming there are no delays, Starfield will launch on November 11, 2022. It is a next-gen exclusive title as well as an Xbox console exclusive, so fans can only play on Xbox Series X/S or PC. Microsoft’s ZeniMax acquisition and Starfield’s subsequent Xbox exclusivity didn’t sit well with a lot of PlayStation fans that have enjoyed Bethesda’s games for years, but exclusivity is confirmed.
Starfield launches on Xbox Game Pass the same day it releases, which is a massive win for Game Pass subscribers. Microsoft has released several exclusives on Game Pass day one so far, including Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5, but Starfield could be the biggest Game Pass release of 2022. Getting a brand new, open-world RPG from Bethesda with a Game Pass subscription would have been unprecedented a few years ago, but now is an exciting reality for gamers.
Will Starfield Get DLC?
After Starfield launches, the last couple of months of 2022 might hold even more news. Starfield probably won’t get a DLC in 2022, but there could be news of one before the year is over. Depending on reception, Starfield could also make a good showing at the 2022 Game Awards. Regardless, November 11 won’t be the end of Starfield and Bethesda surely has more surprises to reveal.
Starfield will release November 11, 2022, for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
