Starfield is releasing in September after the initial release date delays. We can’t say for certain how many years the game development started, but we know the concept for Starfield has been around for at least 10 years and the development officially started in 2016.
Todd Howard and Bethesda like to say Starfield is the culmination of 25 years of work, which may refer to the experience they gained with the Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises, not the actual time of development.
Starfield’s trajectory, from then to now
Starfield is Bethesda Game Studios’ first new franchise in over 25 years. Their catalog already boasts the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series, which includes major gaming titles like Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, as well as several smaller projects like The Elder Scrolls: Blades and Fallout Shelter.
Back when there was still an E3, Bethesda presented Starfield’s first teaser in their E3 presentation in 2018, five years ago. Just by the teaser announcement, we know the game has been fully in development for at least five years.
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The trademark of the name was made even earlier, in 2013, so the concept of the game has been in development for at least 10 years. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim had been launched the year prior and Fallout 4 would release in 2015.
From the gameplay trailer, we can see Starfield was developed based on what the studio learned from Skyrim and Fallout 4 mechanics while improving and adding more.
A little while ago, Todd Hoard said in an interview at the Lex Fridman Podcast the studio “started the game right after Fallout 4, so 2016.” We can assume Starfield has been in development for seven years.
Starfield’s delays in 2022, 2023
Three years after the teaser release, Bethesda presented an in-game trailer at E3 in 2021. The release was then set for Nov. 11, 2022. Nine months later, the company announced the game was being delayed to the first half of 2023.
Bethesda said the reason for the delay was to ensure the game was the most polished version it could possibly be from day one. Fans were receptive to the decision, especially after the No Man’s Sky situation that happened in 2016, plus newer heavyweight releases that had been filled with bugs, particularly Cyberpunk 2077.
On March 8, Bethesda pushed the release date to the second half of 2023. The final release date was set: Sept. 6. It’s an unusual date considering Bethesda’s franchises usually carry a November release window.
Related: Is Starfield on Xbox Game Pass?
Just three months out from the expected final release date, the Starfield Direct was presented at the end of the Summer Game Festm on June 11. A 45-minute gameplay video showcased small slices of the title’s story, skills, character, base, and ship customization, plus companions, combat, and even romance.
Starfield will release on Wednesday, Sept. 6 on Xbox and PC.
