Starfield Developer Reveals How Few Planets Have Life on Them

When Bethesda releases Starfield this September via Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PC the space-faring RPG will boast over 1,000 planets. That said, don't expect all of these planets to be brimming with life. Speaking about the highly-anticipated and ambitious Xbox game, creative director Todd Howard confirmed some planets will have multiple biomes, which speaks to the size of these planets. However, most won't have any life on them, which means they will largely be for mining resources.

More specifically, and while speaking to Kinda Funny Games, Howard relayed that about 10 percent of planets will have life on them, which is supposed to mimic the Goldilocks zone theory. It's unclear if this information will be relayed to the player from some some type of menu screen or if players will need to land on and explore each and every planet for a while before they figure out it's just rocks. 

How easy it is to avoid these planets, and how easy it is to navigate around them and mainline path your way through the good stuff, will be key for Starfield. If there isn't an easy way to avoid this content, then the game could quickly become repetitive and boring for many players who aren't coming to the RPG purely for exploration and resource mining. 

Unfortunately, Howard didn't dive into these pertinent details so it remains to be seen how all of this will be realized. If it's realized as well as the rest the game -- seemingly -- is, then Xbox fans have little to worry about. 

Starfield is set to release worldwide on September 6 via Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PC. When it releases, it will be available as a standard purchase of $69.99 as well as via Xbox Game Pass. 

"In the year 2330, humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. You will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of space in Bethesda Game Studios' biggest and most ambitious game. In Starfield the most important story is the one you tell with your character. Start your journey by customizing your appearance and deciding your Background and Traits. Will you be an experienced explorer, a charming diplomat, a stealthy cyber runner, or something else entirely? The choice is yours. Decide who you will be and what you will become."