Starfield developer Bethesda has issued an end of year update for the space game, outlining what players can expect in 2024.
In a post on the Starfield subreddit, Bethesda said it will update the game roughly every six weeks, starting with the next major update in February. Bethesda has outlined what to expect on top of regular bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements:
City mapsNew ways to travelNew ways to customize your shipsNew gameplay options to further adjust difficultyOfficial mod support with the launch of CreationsOur first story expansion, Shattered Space
Of particular note here is the line on “new gameplay options to further adjust difficulty”. Fans reckon this suggests Starfield is getting a survival mode. Bethesda’s Fallout 4 received a popular survival mode post-launch that disabled autosave and manually saving from the menu, which meant the only way to save was to sleep in a bed, mattress or a sleeping bag. Essentially, survival mode offers a tougher experience. Perhaps Starfield will get something similar, with environmental effects that matter among other welcome tweaks.
Elsewhere, the wording of Bethesda’s post suggests the Shattered Space story expansion is also due out in February. Bethesda has mentioned “new ways to travel” before, although has yet to say exactly what that means.
“More info on all of the above will be coming soon but for now, we hope you all have a relaxing holiday season and we can’t wait to continue this journey with you in the new year,” Bethesda said.
In our 7/10 review of Starfield, IGN said: “Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist.” Check out IGN’s comprehensive Starfield guide if you need help.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].