Get ready for liftoff. Starfield preloads begin Thursday as the game has just gone gold (which means Bethesda’s development of Starfield is effectively complete!). Now, players can download the game pre-release on its platforms, but it will be truly ready to play when September 6 (or September 1 for early access players) rolls around. Unfortunately, Steam users will have to wait longer for Starfield preloads to take effect.
Those who own an Xbox Series X|S or a PC with the Xbox app can preload Starfield on August 17. Players on Steam have to wait much longer as preloading on that platform occurs on August 30. If you’ve bought the Premium Edition or Constellation Edition physically or digitally, you’ll be able to gain access to Starfield five days early on September 1. To make the wait even more arduous, the Xbox Twitter page says its hand is moving “closer to [the] giant LAUNCH button.”
After delays, Starfield is actually ready
Starfield was originally going to be released on November 11, 2022, but it was pushed back almost an entire year. “We know you’ve waited a long time to play something new from us,” said director Todd Howard after announcing the September 6 release date in a trailer. “Believe it or not, we’re kind of the same.”
He later said, “We really just can’t wait for you all to play it.” Now we’re nearing that time. Many games from Bethesda’s past were criticized for awkward facial animation and bugs across the board, but this new game engine may take Bethesda to the next level. It could lead to impressive showings for upcoming games like The Elder Scrolls VI. As of last year, that fantasy RPG is currently in a design stage of development.
