Starfield has gone gold, but what does that mean?

There’s a lot of hype surrounding Starfield ahead of its release. Players cannot wait to dive into the expansive and immersive universe Bethesda has created to see what it’s all about.

If you’ve been paying close attention to headlines and social media posts about it in the lead-up to its release, you’ve probably seen that Bethesda announced Starfield has gone gold on its social media account. But what does that mean? Most people seem to think it has sold a lot of copies ahead of its release, but that’s not quite right. It has an entirely different meaning that is commonly used in development.

What does Starfield going gold mean?

In developmental terms, Starfield going gold means it has passed all the final tests and is deemed to be finished and polished enough to be ready for release ahead of its launch.

That doesn’t mean it won’t be without bugs. Some will inevitably slip through the cracks, as they do with most titles this massive. But it does mean the devs are confident about its state, and that’s a good sign because there won’t be any last-minute delays. So, if you’re counting down to its release as much as I am, the fact it is now gold is excellent news.

It’s already available for preload on Xbox. PC will follow suit on Aug. 30.

Related: Houses, jails, and more: The biggest reveals from the latest Starfield Q&A

I’m looking forward to all the little things like soaking in the lore, meeting new companions, buying a house on the many planets, and even trying to do pacifist run.