Can Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC Save The Game At This Point?

Starfield was initially met with a positive reception by fans. On the forefront, the game looked interesting, offering a literal universe of possibilities. But this optimism soon ended when players realized that beyond its glittery surface, there is really nothing much the game has going for it. Much of it felt like a repetitive bore, and players couldn’t help but feel like they didn’t get what they were promised by Todd Howard and Bethesda.

Especially because you had folks like Phil Spencer claiming the game would be played for a decade. Players expecting something that had a bit more replayability. But Bethesda promised that updates could come to the title, fixing many of the issues that players had with it. But after months, it doesn’t seem like there has been any significant change on that front.

Finally, almost an entire year after the launch of the game, Bethesda had unveiled more details about Shattered Space. This is the game’s first major DLC. It promises to provide new narrative elements, locations, and fresh gear. But will that be enough to reignite player interest? More importantly, will it help Starfield live up to the “decade-long” title Bethesda dreamed it to be? I doubt that and here’s why. 

Updates Were Pretty Infrequent Before This 

While this DLC, which is coming later in the Fall, will undoubtedly bring tons of changes to the game, the lead-up to it wasn’t great. Even over the course of the past few months, updates have been pretty volatile for Starfield. And generally, players have found them to be underwhelming. While Bethesda has been quick to deal with major bugs and QOL improvements, it’s clear nothing major has been brought forward.

It’s possible the studio was choosing to save the biggest changes for the DLC. But it still makes you wonder just how dedicated the studio will be to continue making these changes in the future. For Starfield to be a game people play for years, you’d first need to get back the audience you’ve lost. Then, you’ll have to continually keep them hooked with refreshing content. That seems tough when you look at the past update schedule. 

Will The DLC Even Bring Back Fans?

Bethesda being so late with its first major DLC has meant that many players have already moved on to other, better games. The game has already seen significant dips in its player count, compared to when the title was first released. While this is to be expected from a hyped-up release like this, the drop in player numbers is still huge. Much of this can be credited to the lack of updates from Bethesda. 

Comparing it to titles like Baldur’s Gate 3, which have continued to retain a sizable audience even a year since its release, it really makes it clear that people are done with Starfield. Although, much of Baldur’s Gate 3’s numbers are a result of it just generally being a much better game. And one that has gotten a lot more updates post-launch than Starfield. 

Expecting players to return for the long term because of a single DLC is a pipe dream. Sure, the player count will surge for a bit as fans try out the content. But, unless Bethesda changes its strategy and truly provides consistent updates, Starfield will simply be a ghost town again a few weeks after Shattered Space launches. A couple of QOL improvements and additions just won’t cut it for the vast majority of folks 

Bethesda Has Bigger Fish To Fry

While Shattered Space looks to be adding a lot more content, it seems unlikely the studio will continue releasing content of the same scale. With Bethesda working on The Elder Scrolls 6, it’s possible that the first DLC might be it for the game for the foreseeable future. Or maybe that’s where Bethesda is hoping the players are willing to step in and handle things with mods.

Because even with a studio of this size, I can’t see it constantly making new additions to Starfield, while also developing an entirely new RPG on the side. And even if that’s possible, just the sheer lack of motivation the studio has shown to release new Starfield content over the past months doesn’t give me reasons to be optimistic about all of this.