The sudden news that Starfield has been delayed has sent the gaming world into a frenzy, as Bethesda has historically always hit its release dates. Part of this has been because Bethesda is incredibly smart about its marketing, knowing that its titles will be the biggest games that release that year. With that, they’re given the luxury of having to only announce the game 6 – 12 months before release and are then able to keep a short, but meaningful marketing plan. Bethesda decided not to do that this time. Not only did they announce Starfield several years ago and then go completely dark on it, but they announced the exact release date a year and a half before it was intended to launch.
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After this, Bethesda would go on to release a few dev diaries and some concept art, but gameplay was being held back. Many naturally assumed it would release during E3, roughly 6 months before launch, as is tradition. That appears to still be happening, but not many people expected the game to be delayed an extended amount of time. As of right now, Starfield hasn’t been given a concrete release date, but is slated to release sometime in the “first half” of 2023. Although some recognize that there is value in delaying a game, as it means it won’t be completely rushed to hit a deadline, many are realizing what this means for Xbox. This delay means Xbox has no major first-party releases this holiday season, unless they have a big reveal coming this summer. Xbox has been struggling to sustain meaty holiday line-ups for a while, but Starfield was looking like it would be the game this holiday season.
Xbox’s Phil Spencer defended the choice to delay Starfield, citing the importance of quality, but also said he hears the “feedback” from players. Although Xbox will more than likely be fine in the long run, some fans are saddened to see Xbox’s 2022 line-up be reduced to virtually nothing. Of course, there are benefits to this like a stronger 2023 line-up, more opportunities for people to get a new Xbox for the game, and more, but it is frustrating for some players.
Starfield is slated to release on Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2023.
What do you think about the Starfield delay? Let me know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder. You can keep reading to see what other fans thought about the news.
