Summary
Last year,Starfieldmade its way onto Bethesda’s growing roster as the developer ventured into the far reaches of space for its new IP. Although Bethesda had dabbled with light sci-fi in the past with itsFalloutgames,Starfieldwas a completely new approach for the studio. Although the space adventure had mixed reviews from players at first,Starfieldhas found a loyal following in its first year as periodical updates and an upcoming DLC have reignited interest.
TheupcomingShattered SpaceDLCshows that Bethesda wants to expand the base game further, but just how far it wants to take the IP is a major question looming overStarfield.The Elder ScrollsandFalloutare some of Bethesda’s biggest franchises, and the latter got its first online multiplayer installment with 2018’sFallout 76. Thanks to the live-actionFalloutseries, there is a new interest inFallout 76, but it also raises the question of whetherStarfieldshould get its own online multiplayer spin-off as well. This is an intriguing prospect, but this type ofStarfieldspin-off is likely far off in the future.
Starfield Needs More Time to Prove Itself as a Long-Lasting Franchise
Starfieldhad a rocky start when it was released last year. Although it had some great features, like in-depth shipbuilding, one of the main complaints from many players is that the game felt empty.Shattered Spacewill hopefully bring more excitement to the game, but there are reasons other thanStarfield’s divisive launchthat prove why an online spin-off is probably many years away.
Comparing Starfield to Fallout
Starfieldis a fresh IP from Bethesda, but the studio has been the main developer of theFalloutfranchise since 2008’sFallout 3. When considering the developer’s timeline for the franchise,Fallout 76wasn’t released until a decade later in 2018, andStarfieldwill likely have to follow a similar timelineif an online version of the game is to be justified.
TheShattered SpaceDLC could prove to bethe extra kick thatStarfieldneedsto go from a good game to a great game, but it will take more than that to prove that it’s a worthy IP for Bethesda to spend at least a decade with. At the very least,Starfieldwill need one more sequel before it can even be considered for an online multiplayer spin-off. It has proven to be a fairly successful title for Bethesda, but it hasn’t reached the heights ofFalloutyet.
The onlyFalloutgame not to be developed by Bethesda since it took over the franchise isNew Vegas, which was developed by Obsidian Entertainment.
Bethesda Has Big Choices to Make For Future Projects
Despite the upcoming release of theShattered Spaceexpansion, Bethesda may steer away fromStarfield. Thanks to the overwhelming success ofAmazon Prime’sFalloutseries, the franchise has reached new levels of popularity that Bethesda would be smart to capitalize on. This means thatStarfieldcould possibly be a one-off project that doesn’t get the same long-running franchise treatment thatFalloutandThe Elder Scrollsdo. WithThe Elder Scrolls 6still looming in the distance and a fresh desire for moreFallout, there may not be much room forStarfieldto grow, at least for now.
However, there could potentially beStarfieldspin-offs planned ifShattered Spaceis enough of a success. Still,The Elder Scrolls 6andFalloutwill probably take priority for the next few years, so expandingStarfieldpast DLCs isn’t likely to happen for several years. As games become more intricate and certain franchises gain popularity over others, developers have to make tough decisions on which project gets priority, and at the moment, it doesn’t seem likeStarfieldwould be considered.
