Starfield 2 Release Probably Years Away, But Promised to be “One Hell of a Game”

Starfield 2: A Promising Sequel, But Years Away

Starfield's 2023 release has already sparked anticipation for a sequel. While Bethesda remains tight-lipped, former lead designer Bruce Nesmith offers a promising outlook. He confidently predicts Starfield 2 will be "one hell of a game," leveraging lessons learned from the first installment and building upon its foundation.

Nesmith, a veteran of Bethesda titles like Skyrim and Oblivion, highlights the iterative nature of sequels, citing the improvements seen in each Elder Scrolls iteration. He believes Starfield's initial development, while ambitious, involved establishing many new systems, and a sequel will benefit from this established groundwork. He anticipates Starfield 2 will address player feedback and significantly expand upon the original's features.

"I’m looking forward to Starfield 2," Nesmith stated in a recent interview. "It’s going to address a lot of things people are saying…It will be able to take what’s in there right now and put in a lot of new stuff and fix a lot of those problems." He draws parallels to successful franchises like Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed, which saw their defining moments in later sequels.

A Long Road Ahead:

However, a Starfield 2 release remains years, even a decade, away. Bethesda's director, Todd Howard, confirmed plans for annual story expansions for Starfield, indicating a long-term commitment. He also emphasized Bethesda's focus on quality over speed, prioritizing the development of The Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 before any further Starfield installments.

Considering The Elder Scrolls VI's projected release date of at least 2026 and Fallout 5 following it, a Starfield sequel is unlikely before the mid-2030s.

While the future of Starfield 2 is uncertain, Bethesda's commitment to the franchise remains strong. The recent release of the Shattered Space DLC addresses some initial concerns, and further DLC is planned. For now, fans can anticipate continued support for Starfield while patiently awaiting the potential arrival of its highly anticipated sequel.